Skinny Beer Cheese Soup

Lightening up a dish can be easy; scale back the butter a little, swap an ingredient for a healthier option, use milk instead of heavy cream.  There's all kinds of ways to make a meal healthier.  Then there's the recipes that are only really good in their full fat, creamy, buttery, clog-your-artery goodness.

And Beer Cheese Soup was one of those recipes that I thought wouldn't be good in a lightened up version.  I mean, come on.  Beer and cheese don't exactly scream healthy.  Nevertheless, I decided to give this Skinny Beer Cheese Soup a whirl in hopes of keeping up the weight loss momentum I've got going on.

I will admit, I was wrong.  Beer Cheese Soup CAN be lightened up and still taste amazing.  This soup only has 393 calories in two cups of soup.  2 CUPS, people!  That's a LOT of soup!  You gotta try it!



Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups fat free chicken broth, divided
• 1 1/4 cups potato, peeled and cubed
• 2 tsp butter
• 1/2 cup onion, finely diced
• 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
• 1/2 cup carrot, finely diced
• 1 tsp garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 1/2 cups 1% milk
• 5 oz sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 12 oz beer

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, simmer 2 cups of chicken broth and the potato for 15 minutes or until the potato is tender.  Transfer the potato mixture to your blender and take out the center piece of the blender lid to let the steam escape.  Put a clean dish towel over the top of the blender to avoid splatter.  Blend until smooth.  Set aside.
2. In a large dutch oven, melt the butter oven medium heat.  Add the onion, celery and carrot to the pan and saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds more.
3. Whisk together the flour, remaining broth, and milk in a medium bowl. Add this mixture to the dutch oven and bring to a boil.  Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk.  
4. Add the potato mixture, shredded cheese, dry mustard, worcestershire, pepper and salt to the soup.  Stir constantly for one more minute (until the cheese melts).  
5. Add the beer to the soup and bring to a simmer.  Simmer for 15 minutes.

Notes

• Also picture is grilled cheese made with Best Basic White Bread (coming soon to The Two Bite Club).
• Source:  Adapted from Beer Cheese Soup - Cooking Light Magazine.