This is a lower carb version of a soup my family loves. I used vegetable gum thickeners instead of flour, used lowcarb beer, used half and half instead of milk and increased the cheese for additional thickness. You could make it even lower carb by substituting something else for the carrots, but my family likes the carrots, so I kept them. I'm afraid I don't know the actual carb count.

If you don't have any vegetable gum thickeners (like xanthan) then I think you could probably skip them all together and increase the cheese, but I didn't try that, so I don't know for sure!)

Cheese and Ale Soup

Makes about four 1 cup servings

2/3 cup shredded carrots (shredded cauliflower would be lower carb)
1/4 cup chopped onions
1 tbl. butter
1/3 t. vegetable thickener, like xanthan (I used ThickenThin not/Starch)
2 1/2 cups half and half
dash of salt and pepper
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (12 oz.)
1/2 cup low carb beer (This will add less than 1 carb to the entire recipe)

1. Saute vegetables in a small skillet.

2. While that is happening, heat the half and half in a saucepan. Heat it up to a low boil and vigorously mix in your thickener so it dissolves. (I used an electric stick blender, which makes it very easy, but you can also just wisk it by hand. I keep my thickener in a salt shaker and just shake it across the top of the hot liquid, which also makes it easier to dissolve) Give it some time to thicken up but, the milk does not have to be really thick, because the cheese will do the rest of the thickening. Back the heat down to a simmer and:

4. Add your seasonings to the milk.
5. Add your sauteed vegetables to the milk.
6. Gradually add in your cheese, stirring as you do, until it is all dissolved.
7. Sit in your lowcarb beer.

This makes a very rich and creamy soup. If you can afford the carbs, a stronger flavored beer will enhance the flavor. It's nice served with a salad and a piece of lowcarb toast.

Hi. Thanks for posting this! I remember making the higher-carb version years ago, and the recipe called for Oktoberfest/German type sausage. It was fabulous, and those sausages are on sale at one of my stores this week, so I'm going to buy some and add it to the soup (if there's any left!)

I made a couple of variations, and the soup was still awesome. I had some homemade chicken stock to use up, so I substituted the hardened chicken fat for the butter, and the broth for some of the half & half. I also cut back on the cheese because I was too lazy to open a new package... and it was still great.

Two thumbs up. This one went into my recipe box.



It's better if you drink it.

Oops!!! I hadn't noticed that typo- talk about a freudian slip! I must have really been feeling like having a LOT of beer that day- like a tub full!

I was looking for a soup to make and this sounds great.
I ran up the number for the carb counts. I excluded the veg gums because its just fiber and I didnt add in the beer since the type of beer used will change the carb counts.

Version 1
2/3c Carrots = 7.36 carbs 2.18g fiber
1/4c Onion = 3.45 carbs .72 fiber
Butter = 0 carbs
1.5c CC 2% milk = 4.5 carbs
1c Cream = 6.64
3c Cheddar = 4.34

26g carbs 3g fiber/4 = 5.75g carbs per cup


Version 2
2/3c Carrots = 7.36 carbs 2.18g fiber
1/4c Onion = 3.45 carbs .72 fiber
Butter = 0 carbs
2.5c Half & Half = 26.02g carbs
3c Cheddar = 4.34

41g carbs 3g fiber/4 = 9.5g carbs per cup


Version 3

2/3c Cauliflower = 3.34 carbs 1.65g fiber
1/4c Onion = 3.45 carbs .72 fiber
Butter = 0 carbs
2c CC 2% milk = 6 carbs
0.5c Cream = 3.32
3c Cheddar = 4.34

21g carbs 2g fiber/4 = 4.75g per cup

My Journey, thanks for providing those numbers!

Debbie

I was just thinking about this soup again and re-reading the recipe.

Kristine, (if you happen to look at this thread again, many months later!) how do you add the sausage to the soup? You said you made a recipe that used Octoberfest/german type sausage. Is the sausage crumpled and browned before you add it, or is it the type of sausage that is sliced into rounds?

Debbie

Back from the vaults!

I recently made this soup. However I used light beer that had been used for cooking brats and onions. So all the onion flavor and brat flavor and brat grease was there.

wow.....

Of course, those squeamish about the grease can always skim it off the top, the brat flavor will still be there! And I am certain the onion and the beer added a certain amount of carbs but I have no clue how much.