Irish Beer & Cheddar Cheese Soup
Ingredients
2 large onions, peeled, quartered, and sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tablespoons butter, olive oil, or bacon grease
2 bottles Irish Style Porter or Stout like Guiness or Kilkenny (12-ounce bottles)
4-6 cups chicken broth, preferably home made
14 ounces sharp aged Irish cheese, shredded (Dubliner, Tipperary, Skellig, Murray’s, etc.)
14 ounces clotted cream, home made recipe (can substitute cream cheese)
Whey (eftover liquid from clotted cream making-approximately 500 ml)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Garnishes: crumbled bacon and chives
Instructions
Set a large sauce pot over medium heat. Add the butter, onions, and garlic, and sauté for 3-5 minutes.
Scoop half of the softened onions into the food processor (or blender) and add one cup chicken broth. Puree the onions and broth until completely smooth.
Pour the onion mixture back into the sauce pot, and add the remaining broth and both bottles of beer and the clotted cream whey. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat.
Toss the shredded Irish cheese with cornstarch. Add the shredded cheese, clotted cream, and Dijon mustard to the broth.
Whisk to melt the cheese and blend in the clotted cream.
Whisk until the soup is completely smooth and slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Do not boil the cheese—Lower the heat if needed.
Taste, then salt and pepper as needed. Serve as-is, or garnish with bacon and chives if desired.
Serve with irish soda bread or scones and a rustic salad for a full dinner meal.
