Brat, Cheddar and Sauerkraut Soup

Here is our next installment of Soup Month 2012.  For day 14 we have a soup that will warm the hearts and souls of all the guys out there.  And the ladies, too!  This is one of those hearty German-style soups that will be great when the snow is falling and it's just too cold to go outside.  Or maybe just a great meal to enjoy while watching football!

 

Brats, potatoes, cheese, poblano and chipotle peppers and of course, beer make up this tasty soup.  (You just couldn't have a Brat Soup without the beer, could you?)  The final touch to this soup is a scoop of warm sauerkraut right in the center of the bowl.  It brings all of the flavors together and makes this one delicious bowl of soup.

5  Brats, cooked and sliced
2 TB  Olive Oil
1 cup  Onion, chopped
1 cup  Green Pepper, chopped
1/2 Large Poblano Pepper, minced
1 stalk  Celery, chopped
2 TB  Flour
1 LB  Red Potatoes, cubed
5 cups  Chicken Stock
1 12oz  Dark Beer
2 Bay Leaves
1 tsp  Dry Mustard
Kosher Salt and Ground Pepper to Taste
1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo, chopped
1/2 cup  Half and Half
1 TB  Worcestershire Sauce
2 cups  Grated Cheddar Cheese
1 14oz can Bavarian-Style Sauerkraut

In a large soup pot heat olive oil.  Add onion, green peppers, poblano peppers, and celery and saute for 10 minutes until softened.  Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.  Add potatoes, stock, beer, and bay leaves and bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.

In a small saucepan heat the sauerkraut over low heat and keep warm.

Add dry mustard, salt and pepper, chipotle pepper, half and half, and Worcestershire to the soup and stir to combine.  Turn off the heat and add the cheddar to the pot, stirring until the cheese has completely melted.

Use an immersion blender to puree about half of the soup, then add the cooked brats to the pot and stir.  (You can also use a blender to puree the soup, if you don't have an immersion blender.)

Cook about 10 minutes or until brats are heated through, ladle the soup into bowls and place a scoop of warm sauerkraut in the center of the bowl.  Enjoy!!