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Soups

Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup
Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup is one of the most well-known Wisconsin culinary creations.

4 Tablespoons butter
1/3 cup chopped green onion, green tops and white base.
1/4 cup finely chopped carrot
1/4 cup finely chopped cabbage
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup good Wisconsin beer
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cups half and half ("half and half" is half heavy cream and half milk), heated
2 cups shredded aged Wisconsin Cheddar cheese (use aged cheese for better flavor)
(if you wish, one pound cooked sausage in bite-sized chunks)

Melt butter in large, heavy pan
Add onion, carrot and cabbage
Cook and stir over medium-high heat until onions and vegetables become translucent
Stir in flour, cook 1 minute, stirring constantly
Add broth, beer and mustard.  Stir well until mixture reaches a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes.
Add hot half and half and cheese, and if you wish, cooked smoked sausage.
Stir and warm gently until heated through and cheese is melted.
8 servings.

French Onion Soup
This soup is traditionally one of 2 "soup du jour" choices available at Wisconsin supper clubs.

3 lbs. onions, sliced thick and quartered
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
Cook over low heat for 3 hours, stirring every 1/2 hour for 2 hours and then every 15 minutes. (onions will get very browned, and carmelized)
Add 10 cups beef broth, 1 Tbsp. salt, and 1 tsp. dried thyme.  Cook over medium heat until heated through.
Slice a loaf of french bread into 3/4" slices. Place on baking sheet, cover with a slice of provolone or mozzarella cheese. Broil 2-3 minutes or til lightly browned. Float bread in bowl of soup.

Makes 25 gallons
(This is pretty much the standard recipe.  If I were making a pot of booyah, I'd add fresh herbs and spices, such as thyme and rosemary, perhaps some marjoram, and maybe a few splashes of hot-pepper sauce.  But then it wouldn't be Booyah the way they make it up nort')

Dill Pickle Soup
Have I mentioned that there are many people of Polish descent in Wisconsin?  They are concentrated in the eastern part of the state, along Lake Michigan, with concentrations in Milwaukee and the Green Bay area.  This is but one of their many fine contributions to our culinary heritage.  By the way, people all over Wisconsin eat lots of dill pickles, though not necessarily in soup.

8 cups homemade chicken stock
2 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
1 cup finely chopped celery
5 Polish dill pickles, coarsely grated
1/2 cup whole milk
2 Tablespoons flour
1 egg
5 Tablespoons sour cream
Salt and black pepper to taste
Finely chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Finely chopped fresh dill for garnish

In a large saucepan or soup pot, combine the stock, carrots, potatoes and celery. Cover and cook over low heat until the potatoes are just soft, about 10-12 minutes; do not overcook.  Add the pickles; continue cooking for 15 minutes.  In a small bowl, beat the milk and flour until smooth; stir a little of the hot soup into the milk mixture. Mix until smooth and add to the soup pot, stirring until well combined.  Bring the soup to a boil, stirring frequently until slightly thickened; remove from the heat.  In another small bowl, beat the egg with the sour cream until smooth. Pour a small amount of the hot soup into the egg mixture and mix thoroughly; add the mixture to the soup pot and stir until smooth.

This page last updated on 07/04/2003