Ploughman's Soup

Submitted by Elmotoo

"An old English recipe. Please take your time caramelizing the onions - it's well worth the time & effort. Cheshire cheese is one of the oldest recorded cheeses in British history. It is dense and semi-hard, and is defined by its moist, crumbly texture and mild, salty taste. Industrial versions tend to be drier and less crumbly, more like a mild Cheddar cheese, as this makes them easier to process than cheese with the traditional texture."

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 9
• Serves: 2

ingredients

• 44.37 ml butter
• 2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
• 59.14 ml whole wheat flour
• 473.18 ml chicken stock
• 236.59 ml light ale (do not substitute beer)
• 2.46 ml Worcestershire sauce
• 354.88 ml crumbled cheshire cheese
• salt and pepper, to taste
• vidalia onion rings (for garnish) or 1 slice scallion (for garnish)

directions

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy pan. Gently saute the onion until golden. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, then gradually whisk in the stock and ale. Return to the heat and bring to a boil. Simmer 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce.
2. Reserve 1/4 cup of the cheese. Stir in the remaining cheese, a bit at a time (keeping the heat low), until the cheese is all melted. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish each bowl with the reserved cheese and the onions.

Reviews

[magpie diner]

This soup was a serious treat! I splurged on some authentic Cheshire cheese and followed the recipe to a T, just subbing brown rice flour and veg stock to make it gluten-free & veg. The flavours remind me of a true swiss cheese fondue, only as a soup this is creamy yet light, and the cheshire cheese is flavourful without being overpowering. I agree it could serve 3 for a light meal, but for a dinner portion it's going to make a hearty meal for 2. Very easy to make, I think it benefited from sitting a while. Thanks Elmotoo...!