Rich and creamy Simon Pearce Vermont Cheddar Soup is a New England favorite. Following is the original recipe from Simon Pearce Restaurant in Quechee, VT. Read on to learn more about Simon Pearce Glass blowing and how to make this delicious cheese soup at home.

If you’ve never been to New England before and you’re thinking of a visit,  add Simon Pearce Glass in Quechee, Vermont to your bucket list. It’s a beautiful experience in every sense of the word.

Watch live glass blowing in the basement.

Shop sparkling treasures on the gorgeous showroom floor.

Dine in the five star restaurant overlooking the covered bridge and falls. (And be sure to order a creamy bowl of Simon Pearce Vermont Cheddar Soup!)

Simon Pearce Restaurant, located in this 1800’s mill, is where I first tasted Simon Pearce Vermont Cheddar Soup. Such a flavorful cheddar cheese soup, the recipe I’m sharing today is world famous.

Melt butter in a large stockpot. Sauté garlic and onion, then whisk in flour, making a roux. Stir in chicken stock and season with fresh thyme and spices. Add grated Cabot sharp cheddar cheese, cream and half and half.

While this isn’t a diet recipe, Simon Pearce Vermont Cheddar Soup is the ideal creamy main dish soup for a satisfying New England lunch or supper after coming in from the cold.

Read my post Simon Pearce Glass for more pictures and information about this fascinating destination.

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Simon Pearce Vermont Cheddar Cheese Soup

Cheddar cheese, thyme, carrots, onions, celery, butter, garlic. Creamy cheddar soup recipe from Simon Pearce Restaurant in Quechee, VT.

Course Soup

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Allie Taylor

Ingredients

• 10 tablespoons butter
• 1 small onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3 quarts chicken stock
• 1 pound Sharp Cheddar Cheese grated
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme finely chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1 cup minced celery
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups half & half
• Optional: fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

Instructions

• Melt butter in heavy stockpot.
• Add onions & garlic and cook 'til soft.
• Add flour to butter and onion mixture, stirring to combine well.
• Turn heat very low.
• Stir occasionally, and cook 10-15 minutes.
• Add chicken stock incrementally, stirring with whisk until smooth after each addition.
• Add chopped thyme, bay leaves and salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook over medium heat 5-10 minutes more until smooth and creamy, watching closely.
• Stir in grated cheese.
• In separate saucepan, bring water to a boil.
• Add celery and carrots, cooking until just tender, about 1 minute.
• Rinse with cold water and drain well.
• Add celery and carrots to large stockpot.
• Stir in half & half and heavy cream.
• Stir soup well.
• Optional: garnish with fresh thyme sprigs
• Serve hot, but don't overheat or the soup will curdle.

Notes

If you want a thicker soup, use less chicken stock. (Start with 2 quarts instead of 3. You can always add more to thin if needed.)

You may also like: Cabot Creamery, Cabot, VT

The post Simon Pearce Vermont Cheddar Soup appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.

Hoping you’ll go on a little weekend field trip with me today: a jaunt north up to Sugarbush Farm in Woodstock, Vermont. This, is a neat place. It’s family owned, and you feel it the minute you step inside the main house. First, we’d taken the boys to see glassblowing at Simon Pearce Glass in Quechee, VT. (Check out my Simon Pearce Glass, Quechee VT  post here.) We were all fascinated with the glassblowers and the whole process.

We went on to Woodstock for lunch. There were several choices in our budget, and we passed a lovely looking restaurant called Bentleys.

Charlie (8): “Mom, I really think we should eat at Bentleys.” (Pretty insistent.)

Me: “Why Bentleys?”

Charlie: “It just sounds like it would be a really nice place I’d like.”

A child who takes after his own mother. Wine taste on a beer budget. (We found Pizza Chef, excellent pizza on the outskirts of town that worked out nicely for the gang.)

Meandering home from Woodstock after lunch, we saw Taftsville Bridge on the left. I was reminded of the fun cheese and maple syrup tasting adventure shared with my southern friend Susan last winter at Sugarbush Farm. So we cut a quick left, crossed the covered bridge and made our way the few miles to Sugarbush Farm. Thought you’d enjoy tagging along to enjoy the sights vicariously.

We headed to the main farm house for cheese and syrup sampling. Snowshoes hanging on an outbuilding, ready for a trek…

 This cracked me up! Labeled a Vermont Cowch…it doesn’t look a bit comfortable.

Stepping inside the farmhouse, we were treated to samples of all the wonderful cheese and maple syrup grades that Sugarbush Farm produces.

Check out these excellent choices: Vermont Light Cheddar, Mountain Jack, Mellow Cheddar, Aged and Select Sharp Cheddar, Premium Select Extra Sharp, many different aged cheddars, Sage, Smoked, Cheddar with Bacon, Mountain Blue, Cheddar with Horseradish and Jalapeño & Cayenne Pepper. It was hard to choose!

Just behind the sampling area, friendly VT folks meticulously dip Sugarbush Farm cheese in wax. (First it’s foil wrapped, then triple dipped.)

When cool, these nice ladies label and wrap it in plastic.

You can see gift box samples here, many selections to choose from.

We walked through a little hallway to another sampling area and the store with several refrigerated cheese cases. We bought some extra sharp cheddar. And the boys all seemed to think we needed the Bacon Cheddar, so we got some of that too. (Bacon on the brain: morning, noon and night.)

They were also very interested in Maple Syrup “Nips.”

There was an abundance of maple syrup choices!

Also pure maple syrup Moose Pops.

And very cute VT cow pops too!

There was more sampling!  The boys all liked the habenero peppers maple syrup. I’m still partial to vanilla bean maple syrup myself. (Check out my DIY Vanilla Bean Maple Syrup here.)

And more sampling: jams, jellies and specialty sauces.

This sauce was excellent. Imagine a rack of Maple Barbeque ribs!

I’d never seen a pure maple sugar brick before. For coffee or tea? (How ’bout just knaw the brick.)

It was finally time to head for the hills and home. We spied this little Maple Walk entrance to a Farm Chapel on our way out.

The picturesque white Farm Chapel was nearly hidden in a small clearing in the woods.

What a great visit to Sugarbush Farm in Woodstock. Our view on the way out. The whole experience was a good one, made so by the friendly, welcoming employees and sampling of the wonderful products. We’ll be sure  to visit again. (And soon.) Check out the  Sugarbush Farm website.

We stopped at beautiful Quechee Gorge on our way home.

Thanks for coming along on the field trip and hope you’ll have opportunity to visit Vermont and Sugarbush Farm one day. Have a great weekend!

The post Sugarbush Farm appeared first on Through Her Looking Glass.