Best-Ever Beer Cheese Soup

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) salted butterbutter
• 1 to 1 1/2 large carrots, diced (about 3/4 cup)carrot
• 3/4 cup small-diced piquillo peppers, or 1/2 large red bell pepper, dicedpepper
• Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepperpepper
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flourflour
• 4 cups chicken stock, low-sodium store-bought or homemadechicken-stock
• One 12-ounce bottle beer, preferably a mild-flavored blond or pale alebeer
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 12 ounces aged yellow cheddar (aged at least 2 years), grated
• 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauceworcestershire
• Dash hot saucehot-sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmegnutmeg
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustarddijon-mustard
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juicelemon-juice
• Mustard oil or extra-virgin olive oil, for garnishoil
• Fresh goat cheese, for garnishgoat-cheese
• Fresh thyme leaves, for garnishthyme

1. 01In a large stockpot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots, peppers and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until well incorporated, about 5 minutes more.
2. 02Add the chicken stock, beer and half-and-half and cook, whisking often, at a very slow simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes.
3. 03Add the cheddar to the soup by the handful, whisking each batch until smooth. Add the Worcestershire, hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, the nutmeg, mustard and lemon juice, and stir to combine.
4. 04Puree the soup in batches in a blender (holding a thick towel over the lid to prevent overflow) until very smooth.
5. 05Just before serving, reheat the soup until steaming and taste for seasoning, adding salt as necessary. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each bowl with a swirl of mustard oil, a dollop of goat cheese and a sprinkle of thyme.

Calories

661 kcal

Protein

22 g

Fat

50 g

Saturated fat

26 g

Carbs

29 g

Fiber

3 g

Sugar

7 g

Sodium

1009 mg

Cholesterol

126 mg

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