Cheddar & Ale Soup
Ingredients
75g butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 large potato, peeled & diced
70g plain flour
500ml chicken stock
500ml ale
100ml cream
350g strong cheddar, grated
Ground black pepper
For the dressing:
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp cider vinegar
To garnish:
1 large green apple, peeled, cored and finely diced
2 tbsp chopped chives
Method:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and potato and cook gently, stirring from time to time, until softened (but don’t let them take on any colour) – around 10-15 mins.
Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables in the pan and cook, stirring for 1-2 mins, then stir in the chicken stock. Whack up the heat and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook gently for about 10 minutes until the soup has thickened. Pour in the ale and heat gently for a further few minutes.
Remove from the heat, let cool slightly and then blend with a blender. Add the cream and whiz until nice and smooth.
Pass soup through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan and season with pepper and not too much salt as the cheese will introduce a saltiness later.
To make the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, maple syrup and cider vinegar in a small bowl until emulsified.
Warm the soup over a gentle heat and stir in the grated cheddar, allowing it to melt. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Ladle the soup into warmed bowls and trickle a little dressing on top of each one. Sprinkle on the diced apple and chives and serve immediately.
Recipe from: Tom’s Table by Tom Kerridge.