Houston's Canadian Cheese Soup - CopyKat Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is Wisconsin cheese soup made from? ›

Place 1 cup chicken broth, carrot, onion and celery in 4-quart saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat 8-10 minutes or until onion is softened. Add 2 cups chicken broth, milk, cheese, and hot pepper sauce. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5-8 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Mild cheddar, Colby, Monterey jack, mozzarella, Swiss and queso blanco can all work well. “The best cheeses to melt into soups are cheeses that are higher in moisture and have a lower melting point,” says Bauer. In addition to cheddar and Monterey jack, he recommends Fontina and Gruyère.

To prevent cheese from curdling, it's important to add it to the soup slowly and at a lower temperature. Gradually incorporate small amounts of cheese into the hot soup while stirring continuously. Also, avoid boiling the soup after adding the cheese.

If heated too high, you risk clumping and if too low, not melting properly. With soup, you might be able to fix it with an immersion blender, or you might not. At a temperature of 150 or so, the protein bonds in the cheese break down and as a result, too much fo the moisture escapes too quickly.

The flavor of any given cheddar depends on how long it's aged for. The older it is, the stronger the flavor profile. Wisconsin is one of the only places on the planet that has cheesemakers aging some of their cheddars for up to 20 years.

Wisconsin is the only U.S. state that requires that a licensed cheesemaker supervise the making of commercial cheese. It is also the only state to offer a master cheesemaker program, which is patterned on the rigorous standards of similar programs in Europe.

Why won't my cheese melt? There are many reasons, but the biggest is the moisture content. The moisture content of the cheese has a great effect on the melting process. Cheese that contains higher amounts of fat will melt better than one that doesn't.

Grate or shred the cheese: The key to getting cheese to melt evenly in soup is to grate or shred it. Smaller pieces of cheese have more surface area, allowing them to melt quicker and more uniformly. Avoid using pre-packaged shredded cheese as it often contains additives that can prevent proper melting.

Pre-shredded cheese is often coated in anti-caking agents that can prevent the cheese from melting into a lusciously creamy soup. To ensure that your broccoli cheddar soup has the best smooth and creamy texture, buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

How do you thicken cheesy soup? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

Pasteurized processed cheddar cheese (cheddar cheese [cultured milk, salt, enzymes], water, cream, sodium phosphate, salt, annatto color, sorbic acid), powdered cellulose (to prevent caking).

Milk and/or broth such as chicken broth or stock are used to form the liquid basis for cheese soup. Additional ingredients can include half and half, beer, bread crumbs, butter, eggs, onion, onion juice, garlic, vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, carrot and celery, spices and seasonings.

Once the milk is pasteurized, the cheesemaker adds a starter culture of bacteria or enzymes, which convert lactose to lactic acid, acidifying the milk and starting the process of breaking down the proteins in the milk. Rennet: After the starter culture is added, another enzyme called rennet is added to the milk.

Wisconsin has 1,290 licensed cheesemakers–more than any other state. Wisconsin has the country's most stringent state standards for cheesemaking and overall dairy product quality. Wisconsin ranks first among all states in the production of Cheddar, American, Mozzarella, Brick, Muenster and Limburger cheeses.