Cheddar Cheese Soup with Irish Soda Bread
I made this today for the first time and it was amazing. The perfect meal for a cold winter day :) Both recipes came from a cookbook called College Vegetarian Cooking by Megan and Jill Carle. The book even had both recipes on the same page because they go great together. The only change I made was adding a dash or two of onion powder to the soup. Otherwise I just followed the directions and both the soup and bread came out perfectly! The bread serves about 6 people and the soup served 3 hungry people today. I think it could easily be doubled to feed a family.
Ingredients for the Irish Soda Bread: Oil or cooking spray 3 and 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 8 ounces sour cream 3/4 cup skim milk 3 tablespoons sugar 5 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions for the Irish Soda Bread: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a baking sheet with oil or cooking spray. Combine the flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Combine the sour cream, milk, and sugar in another bowl. Add the sour cream mixture to the dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Stir in 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Shape the dough into a mounded circle about 8 inches in diameter on the prepared baking sheet. Brush the top with 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until browned. Cool completely before slicing.
A note about the Irish Soda Bread: (From the cookbook...) Irish soda bread wasn't invented by the Irish. It's actually credited to Native Americans, but by the 1840s baking soda-leavened bread had become popular in Ireland - maybe because yeast was more expensive than soda.
Ingredients for the Cheddar Cheese Soup: 2 onions 1/4 cup butter 1/3 cup flour 2 and 1/2 cups water 1 vegetable bouillon cube 2 and 1/2 cups milk Salt and pepper to taste 2 dashes of onion powder 8 ounces (2 cups) grated cheddar cheese
Instructions for the Cheddar Cheese Soup: Cut onions into thin slices. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the onions and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in the water, bouillon cube, and milk. Bring to a boil. Season with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Simmer over low heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add cheese, and stir until completely melted. Serve immediately.