Williams-Sonoma Cheddar-Ale Soup

The other day my sister went to Penzey's and wanted to know if I needed any spices. Of course I did! She brought them over to me with some of Penzey's recipe cards. There was also one in the bag from Williams-Sonoma that I thought looked good. I decided to try it out this past weekend. The only changes I made were slight. I used skim milk as opposed to whole milk, organic natural white sharp cheddar and chipotle chili seasoning. I used a bottle of Stella Artois for the ale, it's one of my favorites and that's what we had on hand. You can never go wrong with a Stella!

Cheddar-Ale Soup

4 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups milk
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
1 bottle (12 fl. oz.) ale
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 3/4 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
salt, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste

In a soup pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, celery and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high and whisk in milk and stock. bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl. Return the mixture to the pot and set over medium heat. Add the ale, Worcestershire and mustard and simmer for 5 minutes. Whisk in the cheese 1/2 cup at a time, letting each addition melt before adding more; do not allow the soup to boil. Season with salt and cayenne. Ladle into warmed bowls and serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.