Beer Cheese Soup Made with a Pumpkin Porter

I graduated from the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, home to one of the largest Oktoberfest celebrations in the Midwest.  Seeing my college friends posting all of their photos from last weekend's festivities left me craving beer, brats, and cheese!  So this week's soup pays homage to my Wisconsin roots.  We decided to add a little taste of fall using Alaskan's Pumpkin Porter.  This definitely gave the soup a very dark color and smokey flavor.  If you prefer a more subtle flavor, I would recommend using a lighter beer like a Lager or Pilsner (or whatever you might have on hand).  To be honest, this wasn't our favorite soup. If we had to do this one over we would probably skip the veggies.  That said, we didn't think it was too bad the way we made it.  Enjoy!

Beer Cheese Soup made with a Pumpkin Porter

Beer Cheese Soup

1 Onion

1 Carrot

2 Stalks Celery

4 Tbsp Butter

1 Cup Half and Half

1 Cup Chicken Stock

1 Can/Bottle of Beer

1/3 Cup Flour

1 Tbsp Spicy Brown Mustard

2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

8 oz Sharp Cheddar

1 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

Popcorn to Garnish

Chop the onion, celery, and carrot finely. (We pulsed the carrot and celery a few times in our Ninja to get a finer chop.) Melt the butter in a pot and saute the vegetables until they become soft. Add chicken stock, half and half, beer, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk thoroughly as the mixture heats up to prevent it from separating. Add flour, salt, and pepper and continue to simmer and whisk over medium low heat until the soup begins to thicken. Add cheese and stir while it melts into the mixture. Simmer for a few more minutes so that everything is heated through. Serve and garnish with popcorn.