Brat, Beer and Cheese Soup

We ate well this weekend. I think I spent more time in the kitchen than any other room in the house.

I made this soup for dinner on Sunday night. I used the leftover brats from dinner on Saturday. The recipe ran in a Penzey's spice catalog a while back. I couldn't find it online, so here it is...

Brat, Beer and Cheese Soup

3 bratwurst sausages, cooked and sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 c. onion, finely chopped
1 c. celery, finely chopped
1 c. carrots, finely chopped
1/4 c. flour
1 lb. potatoes, peeled and diced
6 c. chicken stock
1 beer (12oz)
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 c. milk or half and half
1/4 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
2 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

Heat olive oil in soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery and carrots. Cook about 15 minutes or until tender, stirring every so often to keep from sticking. Stir in flour; cook about 1 minute. Add potatoes, stock and beer. I didn't have 6 cups of stock, so I used 4 cups stock, 1 cup white wine and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil and cook 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add mustard powder, garlic, salt, pepper and chipotle powder. Combine milk and worcestershire sauce in a bowl. Stir into the soup. Remove soup from heat. Add cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted and smooth. Remove 2 cups of vegetables with some liquid and puree in blender or food processor. Stir back into the soup to give it nice body. Return to low heat and add sliced, cooked bratwurst. Cook until sausage is warm; 5 minutes should do it.

I didn't puree the 2 cups of soup. I used an immersion blender to blend the soup in the pot until it was as chunky as I wanted it. I also had a lonely ear of corn in the ice box, so I cut the corn off the cob and threw it in when I added the sausage to the soup.

This soup tasted amazing. And I'm sure the leftovers I will have for lunch today will be even better for having festered in the ice box overnight.

This recipe makes enough to serve 12- so be prepared for leftovers (or invite some friends over).