Ingredients
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2 tablespoons butter
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10 baby carrots
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5 red potatoes, peeled,cut into large pieces
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1 onion, sliced
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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1 (12 ounce) bottle beer
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2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans chicken broth or 2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans vegetable broth
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1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese
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1 cup cooked ham, shredded or julienned
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fresh ground pepper, red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Heat butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Add carrots, potatoes and onion; cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper and red pepper flakes to taste.
- Add beer; heat to a boil, stirring to scrape up any browned bits.
- Add chicken broth; heat to a boil.
- Cook until potatoes and carrots are tender, about 12 minutes.
- Pour soup, in batches if necessary, into blender or food processor (or use a hand-held'boat motor' blender).
- Puree and return to saucepan.
- Stir in cheese; heat, stirring, until cheese is melted, about 2 minutes.
- Taste for seasoning; add more pepper flakes if needed.
- Ladle into bowls.
- Top each with shredded ham.