Potato Cheddar Guinness Soup

By charlotteh371

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 celery rib, chopped or sliced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 cups (750 ml) chicken stock (add 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt if using unsalted stock)
• 1 cup (250 ml) Guinness extra stout (do not use draught)
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh or 1/4 teaspoon of dried thyme
• 6 ounces (170 g) grated extra sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• Chopped chives for garnish

Preparation

Step 1

1 Melt butter on medium heat in a large, thick-bottomed pot. Add the onions and cook until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the celery and cook 5 minutes more.

2 Add the sliced potatoes to the pot. Add the chicken stock, Guinness extra stout, and thyme. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, partially cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender and easily fall apart, about 15 to 20 minutes.

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3 When the potatoes are tender, remove the pot from the heat. Pour potato mixture into a bowl and let cool for a few minutes. Working in batches, ladle the soup into a blender, filling the blender bowl only a third full at a time. Add a portion of the grated cheddar to the blender bowl as well. (If it takes 3 batches to purée the soup, divide the cheese into 3 portions.) Holding the lid of the blender down (to keep the hot liquid from erupting out of the blender), pulse until smooth. Return the smooth purée to the soup pot.

4 Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and paprika. Taste for salt and add more if necessary. If the soup is too sour or bitter to your taste, add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to the soup.

Garnish with chopped chives.