Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup

[Dawgluver]

As requested:
4 to 6 small broccoli heads, cleaned and cut up, can include stems
1 onion, chopped
1 big handful baby carrots, shredded or rough chopped (or any regular carrots)
1 box low fat chicken stock (I used Kirkland)
1T Better Than Bouillon Chicken Stock (or whatever else you might have)
2 cups water
1 can/bottle of beer (I used Sam Adams, whatever you have on hand is fine)
2 bay leaves
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 lb Velveeta, chunked
2 cups cheap shredded sharp cheddar
Shake of hot sauce (optional)

I roasted the cut up broccoli on a sheet pan after tossing it with olive oil and salt and pepper at 450° for 20 minutes, or until some of it turned crusty brown. Put into a big pot along with the chicken broth, onion, chopped carrots, water, BTB, bay leaves, and thyme. Simmer for awhile on stovetop.


Add in Velveeta, turn heat to low. Pour in beer. Add sharp shredded cheddar. Stir a lot. Take out bay leaves. Salt and pepper to taste. Shake of hot sauce if you like.


I used the boat motor just enough to leave the soup slightly chunky.

This is as best as I can remember!

 

[Cheryl J]

Mmmm...sounds good, Dawg. I love the idea of adding roasted broccoli.

 

[Dawgluver]

Thanks, Cheryl! It really did add an extra flavor dimension.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Thanks, Dawg! Any week now, one of the stores around me will be having broccoli for 99 cents - and then cheap me will be fixing this soup. Love the fact that you specify cheap cheese and Velveeta! Love me my Velveeta.

We seem to have too many bottles of Guinness - bought it for Black & Tans, then kept drinking the Smithwick's. : Do you think it would work, or be too strong? We do like it in French Onion soup.

 

[Zhizara]

Thanks, Dawg!!

I've been making a broccoli and cheese soup, but never thought of adding beer! I like beer to cook with.

I'll definitely be trying this soon.

 

[Dawgluver]

Thanks ladies! CG, I think Guinness would work fine, add to taste, you may not need the whole bottle.

 

[RPCookin]

Just a thought - as long as you are roasting the broccoli, why not roast the carrots and onion along with it?

 

[Dawgluver]

That would work! I actually thought about it, but I was using my toaster oven to roast the broccoli, and had to do it in two shifts, so there wasn't enough room in the pan.

 

[PrincessFiona60]

This sounds wonderful. Maybe use up some of the beer hanging around.

 

[Dawgluver]

Thanks, PF! Um, what's leftover beer?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

The stuff Shrek hasn't drank...I don't like beer.

 

[tenspeed]

Thanks, Dawg!!

I like beer to cook with.

Wine, too. Sometimes I even add it to the food!

 

[Zhizara]

Thanks, PF! Um, what's leftover beer?

Thanks for the laugh, Dawg.

I actually have an answer:

When a half full beer gets to warm to enjoy, I put it in the back of the fridge to use for cooking.

It doesn't work to chill it to drink, 'cause it will be flat. If I'm cooking with beer it's going to go flat anyway.

It's a way to recycle instead of just throwing it out.

 

[Kayelle]

Can you put ice in beer? I put it in my wine.

 

[Dawgluver]

Why not? Though usually the ice is outside of the beer, in the cooler. It would water it down a bit, unless you drank it fast.

Beer is not my drink of choice, but DH likes it. I prefer to cook with it.

 

[RPCookin]

Can you put ice in beer? I put it in my wine.

I can't think of anyone I know who actually is a beer aficionado who would water their beer with ice. Most would rather let it get slightly less cold than water it down. Same is true of wine lovers I've known. Even rosé should only be slightly chilled, not ice cold (I'll qualify that by saying that I'm the farthest thing from a connoisseur).

With wine, as with beer, I like what I like, but I couldn't analyze why I like what I like. I just know that I like red wine at 70°F, and I prefer craft brewed amber ales, and any beer should be ice cold when I open the bottle (it rarely has much time to get very warm around me).

I love cooking with both beer and wine, but rarely from previous leftovers. Usually I open the bottle when called for in the recipe, use what I need in the dish, then finish the rest while cooking.

 

[cinisajoy]

As to leftover beer, I found 3 in the fridge. Date was 2009.

 

[tenspeed]

Can you put ice in beer? I put it in my wine.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

Kayelle, the RULES say you do not ice beer or wine. However, if YOU like ice in it, why not? Just don't offer it to me that way, 'k?

With beer, when it's hot and I (used to) work long and hard in the garden, when I was done I would toss a bottle into the freezer, then take a nice warm shower. By the time I was dried and dressed, the beer would be frosty - including a little ice in the neck. IMO, it was the best reward for a successful day in the dirt.

On rare occasion, I will put a cube or two into white wine. Not so much because I like it (I don't like my wine diluted) but because I can fool myself as to the true volume of wine in my glass. Needless to say, I do this with boxed stuff but not the good from a bottle.

 

[Dawgluver]

Your kitchen, your rules. If you like beer or wine with ice, have at it, and ice away!

Though not my beverage of choice, I've enjoyed a beer or two after working outside in extreme heat, or on a tropical island in extreme heat. Always well chilled, no ice needed.