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This simple beer cheese soup recipe consists of some vegetables, good sharp cheddar cheese and most importantly - your favorite beer. You can really change the flavor by what beer you choose, which for me is usually a pale ale.
Up until five years ago I had never had beer and cheese soup. It was one of those things I would see on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives and my mouth would be salivating. Partly because Florida is pretty warm as most know, soup just isn't a super popular dish.
But then I moved to Portland. The first night I was there I went to Deschutes Brewery and saw they had beer cheese soup! It was an instant decision to order and I've been in love with it ever since. I learned pretty quickly that almost every micro brewery in Portland had their own offering of beer and cheese soup. So needless to say I tried quite a few varieties.
I mean it has cheese and beer, how could it not be good! I was in soup bliss until I moved to Maryland where it just isn't as popular. So I set out to make my own version to pair with some homemade pretzel bites and I created this easy beer cheese soup recipe that is pretty fantastic.
Like anything that relies on wine or beer for flavor, the type of beer you use will affect the taste. I usually use a pale ale but give your favorite beer a try and soon realize this is the best beer cheese soup recipe out there.
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Recipe Ingredients
- Unsalted Butter - cooks the veggies.
- Carrots, red bell pepper, lemon - adds flavor to the soup.
- All-purpose flour - makes a roux to thicken the soup.
- Chicken broth - low-sodium is best.
- Beer - use your favorite beer.
- Half-and-half - makes the soup creamy.
- Sharp cheddar cheese - the sharper the better.
- Worcestershire sauce - adds some umami flavor.
- Dijon mustard - mustard and beer just go together.
- Hot sauce - just gives a touch of heat.
- Nutmeg, salt, black pepper - enhances the flavor.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Melt butter in large dutch oven over medium heat and add carrots, pepper, salt and black pepper. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add flour and stir until incorporated, about 2 minutes.
- Slowly add chicken broth, beer and half-and-half. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Add cheddar cheese to soup in stages, whisking between each. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, nutmeg, mustard, lemon juice, hot sauce and black pepper.
- Use immersion blender and blend soup until smooth. You can also add the blender and blend in stages.
- Serve immediately with some pretzel bread.
Variations
The two ingredients that can alter the flavor of your soup are cheese and beer. So mix and match to your liking.
- Cheese - Gouda, Monterey Jack, Havarti, and Gruyère all make for great options besides cheddar.
- Beer - lagers, ambers, pale ales or stouts all make for a great soup.
How to Freeze
Just wait for it to come to room temperature before covering in an air-tight container and placing in the freezer. You can keep in the freezer for up to 6 months before using.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Use quality low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth. Remember a lot of the flavor will come from the broth.
- Use a beer you enjoy as it determines the flavor
- Do not skip on adding the half-and-half as it adds richness and mouthfeel you wouldn’t get otherwise. If you don’t want to use half-and-half, you could try coconut milk.
- Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has additional ingredients that you don’t need.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables. It is much easier than adding to the blender in batches.
Other Soup Recipes
- Loaded Potato Soup
- Sweet Potato Chili
- Butternut Squash Sweet Potato Chili
- Salsa Verde Chicken Pozole
- Guinness Beef Stew
- Chicken Noodle Soup
If you’ve tried this beer cheese soup recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Beer Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 1 stick unsalted butter (8 tbsp)
- ¾ cup carrot, diced
- ½ red bell pepper, diced
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 (12 oz) beer (preferably pale ale)
- 1 ½ cups half-and-half
- 1 lb sharp cheddar cheese, grated (aged 2+ years)
- ½ tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- ⅛ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ½ lemon, juiced
- Dash hot sauce
Instructions
- Melt butter in large stockpot over medium heat. Add carrots, pepper, salt and black pepper and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until veggies are soft. Add the flour and stir until incorporated, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add chicken broth, beer and half-and-half and cook at a simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring often.
- Add cheddar to soup in stages, whisking each batch until smooth. Add the Worcestershire, nutmeg, mustard, lemon juice, hot sauce and ½ tsp black pepper and stir to combine.
- Use an immersion blender and blend soup until smooth. It should take about 2-3 minutes to get everything. You can also puree in a blender in batches.
- Ladle in bowl and eat with some pretzel bread.
Notes
- Use quality low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth. Remember a lot of the flavor will come from the broth.
- Use a beer you enjoy as it determines the flavor
- Do not skip on adding the half-and-half as it adds richness and mouthfeel you wouldn’t get otherwise. If you don’t want to use half-and-half, you could try coconut milk.
- Don’t use pre-shredded cheese. It doesn’t taste as good and also has additional ingredients that you don’t need.
- Use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables. It is much easier than adding to the blender in batches.
Chris says
Going to have to try this!