Buffalo Chicken Beer Cheese Soup

(Courtesy of cookingandbeer.com)

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
Salt and black pepper
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
12 oz. light beer  (like a pilsner, to avoid bitterness)
4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
2 1/4 c. low-fat milk
1/4 c. Frank's Red Hot Sauce (more or less to taste)
1 3/4 c. sharp white cheddar cheese
1/4 c. blue cheese crumbles
1 1/2 c. fully-cooked shredded chicken breast
Croutons, chopped chives, crispy bacon, blue cheese crumbles, Frank's Red Hot Sauce (for toppings)

Directions:
In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and season with salt and black pepper.  Cook for 5-6 minutes or until tender.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute, or until fragrant.  Add the beer.  Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer.  Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the beer is substantially reduced.

Add the chicken broth and taking an immersion blender, blend the mixture until completely smooth.  Alternately, you can use a regular blender if you do not have an immersion blender.

Bring the soup to a boil and then lower to a simmer.  Simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and just enough milk to create a paste (about 1/4-1/3 of a cup).  Whisk the flour into the soup and then add the remaining milk.  Continue to simmer the soup for another 15 minutes, whisking frequently until the soup has thickened slightly.  Stir in the hot sauce.  Cook for an additional 3 minutes and then remove from the heat.

In 1/2 c. increments, add the cheddar cheese and blue cheese crumbles to the soup, stirring and melting the cheeses completely before adding the next addition.  It is ok if there are some blue cheese chunks remaining.

Stir in the shredded chicken breast.  

Serve the soup hot, garnished with croutons, chives, bacon, blue cheese and a drizzle of hot sauce (if desired).

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