Cheese Soup with Chicken and Brisket

Winter in Eastern Europe is not the most pleasant time for walking: cold, slushy, windy. But people have long come up with a way to cope with natural disasters - a warming, scalding soup. Having tasted such a soup, you stay full for a long time, a pleasant warmth spreads over your body, and you can safely go to inspect the next attraction. The secret of this warming soup lies in the ingredients. Aromatic wheat beer, crunchy bacon, a lot of melted cheese and tender chicken, all this amazingly combines into a hearty and spicy dish.

Ingredients

• 150 g cooked smoked pork belly
• 500 g chicken breast fillet
• 80 g butter
• 200 ml wheat beer
• 200 ml chicken broth
• 200 ml milk
• 200 ml heavy cream
• 250g cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp Worcester sauce
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• a pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• salt, freshly ground black pepper
• green onions
• toast
• thin slices of bacon

Directions

1. Cut the chicken fillet into 1.5 cm cubes.
2. Cut the brisket into small cubes. Heat a thick-walled saucepan over medium heat, add the brisket and broil until crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the brisket to a plate, add the chicken fillet to the saucepan and fry, stirring occasionally, until tender, 7-10 minutes. Place the chicken fillet on a plate as well.
3. Add 20 g butter to a saucepan, add flour, paprika and garlic powder and stir-fry for 1 minute. Pour in the beer in a thin stream, stirring with a whisk so that no lumps form, cook for 2 minutes. Pour in broth, milk and cream, stir and reduce heat to just below medium.
4. Add grated cheese in portions, stirring the soup all the time. When all the cheese is melted, add the Worcestershire sauce, return the chicken and brisket to the pot. Season with salt, cayenne and black pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
5. To serve, fry the bacon slices until crispy, break into small pieces. Chop green onions thinly. Sprinkle soup with onions, bacon and croutons and serve immediately.