.Recipe of the week.

I know I know, I'm a day late with the recipe AND Oktoberfest {which is the inspiration of said recipe} is long over. However, when I saw this on Pinterst my mouth started to water & I knew I had to share it. There is almost nothing better than the combination of apples and cheese and when combined in a warm and hearty soup....well, that'll easily chase the cold away on any autumn night {even if Oktoberfest is long past}. Enjoy!

Apple Oktoberfest Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

2 strips bacon, chopped

3 tablespoons butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced

1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 clove garlic, sliced

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup Oktoberfest style beer

2 cups whole milk

5 ounces sharp cheddar cheese

3 ounces smoked Gouda

Directions:

1. In a medium pot over medium heat add the chopped bacon. Cook until the bacon is very crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pot reserving the fat.

2. Add the butter to the pot and once it foams add the onion, apple, carrot, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook until the mixture is starting to become tender, about 5 minutes, then add the dry mustard, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender. Add in the sliced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, to cook out the raw taste of the flour. Reduce the heat to medium-low and slowly add in the chicken stock, beer, and milk, stirring constantly to remove any lumps of flour. You may need to whisk it during this process. Once combined increase the heat to medium-high and cook until the soup comes to a boil and thickens, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool for 3 minutes.

4. Working in batches, blend the soup in a blender until very smooth, about 3 minutes on the highest speed. Add the cheese, in batches, to the soup and blend until the cheese is melted. Once all the soup is blended return it to the pot. If you have an emulsion blender you can streamline this step.

5. Heat the soup over medium heat to re-warm. Season with hot sauce, and additional salt and pepper as desired. Serve the soup with the chopped bacon as garnish. Enjoy!