Cheddar Ale Soup

I found this recipe originally on Pinterest. There are recipes for it in several different places.
This recipe on Fake Ginger is the recipe I ended up using since it was printed out. I did not however make the pretzel bowls. I made croutons instead and served the soup in mugs.
This was the idea of the Pinterest link that I pinned on my board of this recipe on Tracey's Culinary Adventures. Tracey is the one that recommended making croutons. SP made the croutons using left over baguette from New Years fondue baguette, olive oil spray, and rosemary.
A quick consult and I found Williams-Sonoma's identical recipe.

I highly highly recommend making this. Any soup that begins by frying slices of bacon in the bottom of your Dutch oven is bound to be pleasing. On top of this you then slowly cook carrots and onions and celery. Long after you add the garlic, and flour, and Worcestershire and ale, then milk and broth and voila!
You have this.

Time for the immersion blender.

While this close up picture is unattractive, I included it because of the color and consistency it ended up as. I blended for a rather long time trying to get the chunks smooth. It was such a hearty broth it never attained a single hue. Flecks of bacon were evident. I loved it.



At this point I was getting really excited about the next step.
Adding the cheese. Add cheese. Cheese and more cheese. 4 cups of it.

Cheese glorious cheese.

Stir, heat, stir, wait patiently for the consistency to even.
Patience. Smell. Savor.
Serve in a mug with home made croutons and enjoy, salivate, want more.

Food is love. Amen.