Creamy Reuben Soup

First of all, I want to thank Danielle Mulholland for the inspiration of this recipe. She recently won first place in "Soups On" contest in a group on Facebook called  "What's for Dinner Tonight Ladies", a tasty little place where we all post what's on our menus for the evening..
I made a few changes to suit my needs and what I had on hand. Her original post is on the Soups On link above.

1 small corned beef.. not sure what size it was , but damn tiny for $10
2 cans beer, I used a light beer
2 carrots
1 onion, peeled and halved
In the am cook corned beef in the beer, onion , and carrot until shreddy.. Save and strain the cooking liquid for the soup.
Then....

1 medium sweet onion, chopped 

1 cup shredded fresh cabbage

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons cornstarch

4 tablespoons water

Saved liquid from cooking the corned beef or if you prefer, chicken broth

Shredded corned beef, I used about 3 cups

1 1/2 cups sauerkraut, drained

3 cups milk, more or less for the thickness you want

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese

Caraway seeds ( optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

Thousand Island dressing

Rye croutons ( I didn't have rye bread, so I used french and made my own croutons with a tad of caraway seed)

In large pot, saute onion and cabbage in butter until tender. Add broth and baking soda ( not sure what the baking soda is for, but it got all fizzy when I added it) . Mix cornstarch and water in small bowl till combined and add to broth/ onion mixture. Simmer till thickened. Add corned beef, sauerkraut and caraway seeds. Simmer 5 min and add shredded cheese , salt, and pepper. Watch the salt, as the liquid from the corned beef is salty, you might not even need any.  Serve with a swirl of Thousand Island and croutons.. 

Thanks  Danielle!!!