Cheddar Beer Soup
My family, kids included, all love cheddar beer cheese soup, and my son requested it this week for dinner so I went looking for recipes online. I found an easy cheddar beer soup recipe on Epicurious that sounded perfect. The soup tasted amazing and had a subtle beer flavor that went perfectly with the extra sharp cheddar. This homemade cheddar beer soup paired nicely with an Irish salad and warm slices of potato bread and we all loved this meal.
Cheddar Beer Soup
Ingredients:
- 4 bacon slices, cut into small pieces
- 2 medium leeks, white and pale green parts only, sliced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 2 celery ribs, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 ¾ cups chicken broth
- 1 12-oz bottle of Pilsner beer
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 4 cups extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- Fresh chives, chopped
How to Make Cheddar Beer Soup
Cook the bacon bits in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until browned and crisp. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon from the Dutch oven and place them on a paper towel to drain the grease. Set aside to use later.
Add the butter to the Dutch oven along with the leeks, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes, or until tender. Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Add the flour and combine well with the veggies. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes.
Slowly, in a steady stream, whisk in the chicken broth, beer, then milk. Add the Worcestershire sauce, dried mustard, and bay leaf. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the veggies are completely tender. Side Note: Don’t let the mixture boil or the milk can curdle.
Remove the bay leaf from the soup and then add the shredded cheese. Stir until the cheese is completely melted. Blend the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste.
Serve topped with bacon bits and freshly chopped chives. Enjoy!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 bacon slices cut into small pieces
- 2 medium leeks white and pale green parts only, sliced
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 2 celery ribs diced
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 ¾ cups chicken broth
- 1 12-oz bottle Pilsner beer
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 4 cups extra-sharp Cheddar. grated
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- Fresh chives chopped
Instructions
- Cook the bacon bits in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until browned and crisp.
- Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon from the Dutch oven and place them on a paper towel to drain the grease. Set aside to use later.
- Add the butter to the Dutch oven along with the leeks, carrots, and celery.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6-7 minutes, or until tender.
- Add the minced garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add the flour and combine well with the veggies. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes.
- Slowly, in a steady stream, whisk in the chicken broth, beer, then milk.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce, dried mustard, and bay leaf.
- Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the veggies are completely tender.
- Side Note: Don't let the mixture boil or the milk can curdle.
- Remove the bay leaf from the soup and then add the shredded cheese. Stir until the cheese is completely melted.
- Blend the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.
- Taste and season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste.
- Serve topped with bacon bits and freshly chopped chives. Enjoy!
Can you believe that I have never had a beer soup? This looks insanely delicious, Pam.
Beer+cheese+bacon = has to be good
I’m finding so many IPA’s have too strong of a flavor for cooking. Too bad, because it’s my favorite style of beer! I’m using pilsners or ales a lot more when it comes to recipes like this. Great soup — I haven’t had this for ages, and yours looks wonderful. Thanks!
I think I have only had a cheese/beer soup once at a restaurant. This looks like a fun soup to make at home.
What a great meal for a late winter day! I love cheddar, too, and I think the flavor would hold up well with the other ingredients in this soup.
Sound perfect for winter to me, Have a great day Diane
Yum, yum, and did I mention….yum?