This was actualy a recipe that Alton Brown had on Good Eats, but I have made it before and it is a pretty good cheese soup. You can substitute Cheddar for the Fontina, and it will be a fraction of the price too. I think I paid like 12 bucks for the Fontina cheese the time I made it with that, and like 4 for cheddar. Not quit as good as the fontina, but for the price difference...
Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 ounces small diced onion (approximately 1 cup)
5 ounces small diced carrot (approximately 1 cup)
5 ounces small diced celery (approximately 1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt for sweating vegetables, plus more if needed at end of cooking
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart chicken broth, heated to a simmer
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 bay leaf
1 cup heavy cream
10 ounces Fontina, shredded
1 teaspoon Marsala wine
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Directions
Melt butter in large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, and salt. Sweat for 5 to 10 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally. Sift the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes.
Gradually add the chicken stock and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and add the garlic and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are soft.
Remove bay leaf. Turn off the heat, add the heavy cream, and then puree with an immersion blender or in a conventional blender***. Gradually add the cheese, 1 small handful at a time, and stir until melted before adding next handful. Stir in the Marsala, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and white pepper. Taste and add additional salt if desired. If soup is not hot enough, return to a low heat until warmed through.
***When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.
I am alergic to dairy products but I remember what it tastes like from years past when I wasn't. This sounds great.
There is a pub here in town that make a Guinis Beer and Cheese Soup once a month, I cannot eat it either but
I does smell delicious.
"Look, if you had, one shot, or one opportunity, to seize everything you ever wanted, in one moment, would you capture it, or just let it slip."
-Eminem-
Cheese Soup
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