Savory Cheddar Cheese Soup

150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes
Judith Finlayson
Who would have thought one could make cheesecake in your slow cooker? Finlayson has selected a fine mix of old favourites and newer internationally-inspired dishes. Colour photos. $27.95.
 
This hearty meal-in-a-bowl makes a great weeknight dinner or doubles as a starter to a traditional dinner such as roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. My family likes to scoop up the vegetables on thick slices of country bread, but if you're serving this to guests, puréeing the mixture in a food processor before adding the cream and cheese produces a more polished result.

Serves 4 to 6 as a light meal or 8 as a starter.

Make ahead: This dish can be assembled the night before it is cooked but without adding the cream, cheese and hot pepper suace, if using. Complete Step 1 and refrigerate overnight. The next day, continue cooking as directed in Step 2.

1 tbsp butter 15 mL
1 leek, white part with just a bit of green,
cleaned and finely chopped 1
2 medium carrots, finely chopped 2
3 stalks celery, peeled and finely chopped 3
1 tsp dry mustard 5 mL
1/2 tsp salt 2 mL
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 mL
2 tbsp all-purpose flour 25 mL
2 cans (10 oz/284 mL) condensed beef consommé (undiluted) 2
3 cups water 750 mL
1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce 15 mL
1 bay leaf 1
1/2 cup whipping cream 125 mL
3 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 750 mL
Hot pepper sauce to taste (optional)

1. In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt butter. Add leeks, carrots and celery. Turn heat to low, cover and cook for 10 minutes, until vegetables are soft. Add dry mustard, salt, pepper and flour to pan and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add consommé, water, Worchestershire sauce and bay leaf and cook until slightly thickened.
2. Transfer mixture to slow cooker stoneware. Cook and cover on Low for 8 to 10 hours or on High for 4 to 5 hours. Discard bay leaf. If desired, transfer solids plus 1 cup (250 mL) liquid to a food process and process until smooth, then return mixture to slow cooker.

3. Add cream and cheese, cover and cook on High for 15 minutes, until cheese is melted and mixture is bubbling. Ladle into individual serving bowls and pass the hot pepper sauce.

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