Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 teaspoons salt (divided in half)
• 1 teaspoon pepper (divided in half)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoons thyme
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley (more for garnish)
• 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 4 cups beef stock
• 1 cup dark beer (a red or lager will work too)
• 1 (15 oz) can of corn, drained
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed into 3 tablespoons of cold water
• Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

1. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add olive oil and the ground beef and break into small pieces as it cooks.  Season the meat with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Cook until no longer pink.
2. Add the onion to the pan and cook 4 more minutes.  Add the garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and parsley then cook 2 more minutes until very fragrant. Pour mixture into the slow cooker.
3. Stir in carrots, celery, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, beef stock, stout beer, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and stir together.
4. Allow the soup to cook for 4-6 hours on low.
5. Thirty minutes before serving – turn the slow cooker to high. Stir in corn, corn starch and water slurry (make sure the cornstarch is COMPLETELY dissolved in the water before adding to the slow cooker to avoid clumps).
6. If you wish to make a pie shell topping for the soup roll out a prepared pie dough into a round and then bake flat on a cookie sheet per instructions.shells Remove pie crust from oven and when cool break into large pieces.
7. Taste soup and adjust spices to your liking.
8. To Serve: Garnish the soup with some chopped parsley and serve warm with a pie crust sprinkled over the top as desired.  Top with grated Parmesan if desired.