and you and you...You're Gonna Love Me.

Trust me, you'll be singing Jennifer Hudson too when I give you this recipe.
Carrie sent an email late last week and I knew immediately I would share it here. I have NOT tried this myself but I'm anxious to..and now I'll need to try to make the rye croutons. Yummers.
Anyway--Carrie said she made a few adjustments but I assume those changes are reflected there.

You're welcome.
: )


Upstream’s Smoked Gouda Cheese Soup

½ onion diced
2 garlic cloves pressed
1 cup corn (I used frozen corn cut from the husk last summer… the creamy sweetness made the soup!)
½ red bell pepper (pureed in processor)
¾ cup carrots (pureed in processor)
2 bottles of Ale (I used one Blue Moon and one Boulevard Pale Ale)
2 cans chicken stock
2 cups chopped red potatoes
4 cups heavy cream
1 ½ lbs smoked Gouda cheese (shredded)
3 Tbsp cornstarch
2 teaspoons Beau Monde seasoning
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp (give or take) sea salt
¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper

In 2 Tbsp olive oil sauté onion until clear (I used a 7 ¼ qt Le Creuset). Add garlic stir in for one minute. Add pepper and carrot puree, and sauté for an additional 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with beer. Add stock, stir and add potatoes. Bring to boil and then simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked.

Reduce heat to low, stirring constantly, add cream. Sprinkle cornstarch over cheese, toss to mix (starch will somewhat lightly coat cheese). Add cheese mixture in SMALL batches into soup stirring to melt. Do not overheat.

At this point use an emulsion blender to CAREFULLY puree potatoes and any large onion pieces that have yet to cook down.

If soup is too thick, add more beer. Next add Beau Monde, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

ENJOY!!!