- 1 large rutabaga
- 4-5 small-medium parsnips
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large vidalia onion
- 3-4 garlic cloves
- 1 – 12 oz bottle of beer (Honey Brown Lager)
- 1 cup homemade vegetable stock
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 1/4 plus 1/8 cup flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 1 large bay leaf
- 8 ounces sharp white cheddar cheese
- 12 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese
- 16 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese
- 1-1/2 can chipotle-adobo sauce, using 1-2 of the peppers
- brown sugar
- ground thyme
- sea salt, to taste
- McCormack® Peppercorn Medley
Directions:
Peel, slice, and dice rutabaga and parsnips into 1/4 inch pieces. Place in a large bowl. Toss with olive oil. Sprinkle salt, pepper, sage, and brown sugar atop the mixture. Toss. Repeat. Toss. Repeat once more to evenly distribute. Spray a large metal pan with olive oil and spread the pieces evenly. Roast until browned and , about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Whilst the vegetables are roasting, grate cheese and set aside. Mince onions and set aside. Mince garlic and set aside.
In a sauce pan, melt two tablespoons of butter and slowly sauté onions, garlic, and bay leaf over low heat. Set aside.
In a large sauteuse pan, melt the remaining butter. Whilst it is melting, warm milk in the microwave (approximately 2 minutes). Add the flour to the melted butter very slowly to begin a roux, whisking the entire time. Once the flour is all mixed in, allow it to simmer and brown a bit. Then, slowly add in the milk. Once all the milk is added, allow it to simmer for a while to thicken. Then, very slowly start adding the grated cheese by sprinkling it across the top of the roux and a stirring frequently so that the cheese melts into the roux. Repeat until all the cheese is added.
Add in the onions, garlic, and bay leaves and stir. Slowly, add in the beer, vegetable stock, and adobe sauce and peppers. Stir. Then add in the roasted vegetables, sprinkle the top with additional pepper, and bring to a strong simmer. Cook for 30-40 minutes to thicken the soup.
Whilst the soup is thickening, using kitchen sheers, snip 1/4 inch slices half a strip of bacon per planned serving into a frying pan. Cook until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towel and set aside for garnishing the soup.
Serve with crusty bread, preferably sour dough.
Myrtle's Note: First off, this is a halved recipe and still serves 8-10. When making the recipe, I found it odd to have something noted as serving 4 completely filling my stock pot! [I was a bit dense in adding up the liquids before commencing this recipe.] Though halved, I did not halve the vegetables in the recipe above, because they were a bit thin in the ratio department in the original recipe. Given the amount of liquids in this soup, I ended up using just a third of the stock and could not fathom using all of it. As it is, this is a bit of a thin cheese soup, although very full of flavor. I also changed how I roasted the vegetables a bit. And, at the most brilliant suggestion of my neighbor, I changed the garnish.
Yield: 8-10 servings
Source: http://honestcooking.com/roasted-rutabaga-beer-cheese-soup-recipe/
