Sometimes, I think of this soup as Man Soup because its got my man’s two favorite foods… beer and sausage. (Actually, I don’t think beer is his favorite, but he does enjoy a cold one.) That said, I’m a woman and I LOVE this soup. Back in the days when I wasn’t counting Weight Watcher points, Husband and I would eat this entire recipe in one night, along with half a loaf of Italian bread. One of the reasons I like this soup is all the spinach it requires…plus I like the cheese and sausage. 🙂 If prepared properly, the beer is hardly noticeable, if at all. I found this recipe in the December 2005 Hudson Valley Magazine. It’s real name is Beer Soup with Spinach, Cheese and Sausage.
When I make this soup, I use frozen breakfast sausage, spinach in the bags, Sam Adams beer, 1% milk and pre-shredded cheddar cheese. The end result is a hearty and very satisfying soup. Perfect for cold nights. We used to pick up a loaf of Italian bread to go with, but these days I prefer to bake my own Just Relax Bread.
Notes about the ingredients:
Sausage: I cook the sausages in the microwave for half the time suggested on the box. The goal is to cut them easily while not burning my fingertips. Most packages these days are 6-7 oz. That’ll do. Also, I cut the sausages with my handy kitchen shears.
Spinach: I use the pre-washed and bagged kind.
Scallions: I’ve made this soup with and without the scallions. They’re not a deal breaker, but better with the scallions. I use my kitchen shears to cut these as well.
Milk: I’ve used skim and I’ve used 1% with equally tasty results. Higher fat milk will burn more easily, so adjust accordingly if you use.
Beer: Sam Adams Boston Lager is a favorite at my house, but any full-bodied beer of your choice should work fine. I measure out one cup, then drink the rest of the bottle. 😉
Cheese: For convenience I use the pre-shredded type.
To go directly to the recipe without pictures, click here.
Beer Soup with Spinach, Cheese, and Sausage
From Hudson Valley Magazine, December 2005
Serves 4
ingredients
- Ingredients
8 oz. breakfast sausage
1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb fresh spinach, washed and coarsely chopped
4 scallions, finely chopped
¼ cup flour
2 cups skim milk
1 cup or more full-bodied beer
8 oz grated Cheddar cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS
Cut the sausage into small slices or pieces; brown in a pan that is large enough to hold the soup.
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sliced sausage in pan
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browned sausage
Drain and set the sausage aside. Heat the oil. (If there is enough fat leftover from cooking the sausage, I won’t add any oil.) Add the scallions and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the chopped spinach. Add the spinach in batches (a handful or two at a time) until it wilts enough to add more. Cook and stir until all the spinach is wilted.
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sausage out, scallions in
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batch of spinach
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1 lb wilted spinach
Add the sausage. Sprinkle the mixture with the flour. Slowly add the skim milk while stirring continuously. *** If preparing the soup in advance, stop at this point.
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sausage, flour and milk added
When ready to serve, add the beer. Bring the soup to a boil. (This is very important. If you don’t boil it, the soup ends up tasting very beer-y. This is not pleasant.)
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boiling after beer added
Add the cheese and cook until it has melted. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
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YUM!
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