beer "cheese" soup

when i was growing up in moorhead, my family used to frequent a restaurant called 'The Grainery'. it was a very cool place with ice cold jars of pickles on each tabletop and the greatest beer cheese soup on earth...until now.

when i first went vegan i thought "no more beer cheese soup for me," but i was wrong. i am amazed at the power of tofu...is there anything it can't do or be?

 

beer 'cheese' soup  and homemade croutons

1 package silken firm tofu
3 cups no-chicken broth (preferably the 'better than bouillon' brand)
1/2 lite beer
2 onion bouillon cubes, crushed
3 green onions - minced
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley - chopped
1 tbsp brown rice flour
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
red and yellow food coloring (*optional)

for garlic croutons, see croutons recipe

in a food processor, put blend your tofu, onions, parsley, bouillon cubes, olive oil.
in a separate pan, bring 3 cups broth to a high heat. slowly add that to your tofu mixture. blend a little more then transfer to a pot.

add your beer and salt and pepper to taste.
simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes and use the brown rice flour mixed with a little broth to thicken to your desire.

add a little red and yellow food coloring to create the "cheese" coloring. if you are a purist, you can certainly leave it out.  Megan from http://sistersvegan.blogspot.com suggests using turmeric or paprika for color.  Thanks Megan!

continue to taste until it creates that creamy, rich beer cheese taste.
top with homemade croutons or fresh popped popcorn.

serve with a cold beer and ice cold pickle.

enjoy!

 

Comments

[jan roberts]

No print or email buttons? All black too?

[Eno]

Thanks for the great idea! I just started a vegan diet on Sunday, and this is exlacty the kind of thing I was looking for something easy to throw together for lunch that doesn't require heating. I bought the ingredients yesterday and my husband and I have already eaten all the sprouts! I found lemon & dill hummus, which was delicious. I've never bought sprouts before, so thanks for introducing me to a new food! Any advice for newbies making the transition is appreciated.

[Gretchen]

I miss the Grainery so much. I am not vegan and sure would like the original recipe for their beer cheese soup. That was the best beer cheese soup ever.

[Michelle]

This sounds delicious! I think that I would add some nutritional yeast and tahini for some extra tangy cheesiness! :)

[David Wolfe Rawfoods]

The name intrigued me, I think this would be a delicious meal

[Meagan]

Adele-

Thanks for stopping by...Unfortunately I am not a big fan of nutritional yeast. I find that it tends to dominate the flavor of the food, so I try not to use it if at all possible.

Take Care!
Meagan