Beer and Brat Cheese Soup

Prep Time:  15 minutes   |    Cook Time:  45  minutes   |    Total Time:  1 hour   |    Servings:  10

Ingredients

• 6 links Bratwurst
• 4 12-ounce bottles  Monterrey  Cerveza
• 4 tablespoons  Countryside Creamery  Unsalted Butter
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tablespoon  Stonemill  Minced Garlic In Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon  Stonemill  Crushed Red Pepper
• 5 tablespoons  Baker’s Corner  All Purpose Flour
• 1 cup  Friendly Farms  Heavy Whipping Cream
• 32 ounces  Simply Nature  Organic Chicken Broth
• ½ cup  Casa Mamita Chunky  Medium Salsa
• 8 ounces  Happy Farms  Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces  Happy Farms  Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon  Burman’s  Hot Sauce
• ½ teaspoon  Nature’s Nectar  Lemon Juice
• Friendly Farms  Sour Cream, to taste

Directions

1. In a medium pot, simmer bratwurst in beer, until fully cooked, about 15 minutes. Remove bratwurst and set aside.
2. Continue cooking until beer is reduced by half, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. In a medium pot, heat butter and sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic and crushed red pepper, cook for 2 minutes.
4. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture and whisk to create a roux. Cook until the roux has turned a light brown color, then whisk in cream and broth. Simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Stir in salsa and return to simmer. Gently stir in cheese.
6. Slice the bratwurst into half moons and return to soup pot. Add Worcestershire, hot sauce and lemon juice.
7. Add reduced beer, stir until combined. Top with sour cream and serve.

TIP: When making cheese soup, never let the mixture boil. This will cause the mixture to break. If it appears to break, stir in 1 cup of sour cream to bring it back together.

Recipe Courtesy of Chef Scott, ALDI Test Kitchen