Hot Damn Beer and Cheddar Soup

This reminds me of my mother’s Welsh Rarebit but as a soup.
Makes approximately 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced carrots
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/2 cup flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne, or to taste
4 cups chicken broth, heated
12 oz beer or stout
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup heavy cream, heated
1 lb grated sharp cheddar
buttered crusty bread

Directions:

Press Saute and when the display says Hot, add the butter, onion, carrot and red peppers. Saute, stirring occasionally for 4 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
Add the flour and stir well. Saute, stirring constantly, for one minute. Make sure there is no dry flour left, that it is all combined with the butter. Stir in the garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne. Cayenne adds spicy heat so if you like hot stuff, add up to 1/2 teaspoon or so.
Heat the chicken broth in the microwave to piping hot. Add it to the vegetables in the pot,
whisking rapidly to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom. It will thicken quickly. Add the beer, mustard and Worcestershire sauce and bring it to a full, rolling boil. This is important. This step will prevent the Burn warning: make sure it is boiling vigorously, not just a few bubbles. Press Cancel and give it a final scrape with a spatula to ensure nothing is stuck on the bottom.
Close the pot and set the valve to Sealing. Push Pressure Cook (or Manual) and adjust time using the + or - button to get to 4 minutes. When it beeps that it's done, press Cancel. Do a Controlled Release: flip the valve to Venting for about 10 seconds, then back to Sealing for another 10. Repeat this several times until the pin drops and then press Cancel.
Heat the cream in the microwave until hot but not boiling. Open the pot and blend the soup right in the pot with an immersion blender or use a regular blender or food processor. Return it to the pot and stir in the hot cream. Add the grated cheese and stir until melted and smooth. Do NOT boil the soup once the cheese is in or it may curdle or turn a little grainy.
Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve with buttered crusty bread. Get fancy if you want: bacon bits, parsley, broken pretzels, whatever, but the soup is the star!