Beer, potato and cheese soup

A UNIQUE South African touch of beer and biltong is what makes this recipe for soup from 7de Laan Celebrates (Human & Rousseau, 2013) really yummy. It serves four.

INGREDIENTS:

30 ml (2 T) butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

4 medium potatoes, peeled and finely diced

500 ml vegetable stock

300 g Cheddar cheese, grated

340 ml (1 tin) beer

salt and black pepper to taste

sliced biltong for serving

METHOD:

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry over medium heat until soft.

Add the diced potatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat and simmer gently until the potatoes are soft.

Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

Blend the soup using a stick blender or blender. Place the saucepan back on the stove and reheat over medium heat.

Add the grated cheese and stir until the cheese has melted completely. Gradually add the beer. You must do this slowly because it foams a lot. Stir the soup well to make sure everything is combined.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer the soup until it has thickened slightly. Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as needed.

To serve, ladle the soup into deep soup bowls and scatter over a few pieces of sliced biltong.