I am going to make several different soups and breads and offer that up for Christmas dinner instead of the usual sit down turkey thing. I think this soup would be a good choice.
My question, how much of a difference do you think it would make if I left out the ale, and would there be a good non-alcoholic substitute for the ale? Non-alcoholic beer is not an option as it still has a % of alcohol in it.
After simmering that long, most of the alcohol will be long gone. If you object to even the slightest percentage of alcohol, use a near-beer. The fraction there will disappear in an instant. If you are totally anal about it, just substitute a little more chicken stock.
I would also stay away from most food in the world, because I can think of hundreds that will possess some miniscule fraction of alcohol somewhere in them, as a result of intentional fermentation, packaging, or just plain age.
Personally, I don’t have an issue with the alcohol. It is for a family member. I have tried repeatedly to point out that the alcohol cooks away, etc., etc. He feels that strongly about the issue, so it isn’t worth it to me to argue it anymore.
I tend to think that the soup will probably be ok without the ale, just add some more stock and flavorings. I was just looking for some opinions from people who have more kitchen expertise than I do.
If that isn’t an option, then just add more stock, and be prepared to maybe adjust the seasonings a bit. The pale ale would a a touch of underlying malt and a line of bitterness to the soup that most people will probably miss if they aren’t looking for it. How does everybody feel about heat? You could also ass a few splashes of Tabasco as an alternate note for the ale.
There’s only a cup, and it serves 6. After 15 minutes of cooking only 40% of the alcohol will remain. cite
So, one serving of the soup would have about as much alcohol as 1/2 ounce of 5% abv beer. There’s about as much alcohol in one serving as there is in a can of Sprite.
A cup of beer in that much soup isn’t going to add a whole lot - at most, it will be a subtle flavor. Go ahead and add 1/2 cup more milk and 1/2 cup more chicken stock and you’ll be fine. If you’re worried about missing some flavor, splurge and buy some really high end cheddar. Don’t add it with the rest of the cheddar, just grate a little bit on top of each bowl.
And as a side note, be careful when adding the cheddar. If the soup is too hot, the cheddar will cause it to break. Meaning, instead of a nice creamy thick cheese soup, you’ll have a thin greasy soup with little grainy bits of cheese solids floating around. To be really careful, I’d add it with the heat off. I’ve broken too many cheese soups in my life.
Tempting as it would be to not tell him, I couldn’t do that. He is the most reasonable man in the world, just not when it comes to alcohol.
Moderate heat is definitely doable. More stock, some herbs and ass a few splashes (hee hee) of Tabasco sound like good options. What do you think of the Chipotle Tabasco with the cheddar?
