Beer Cheese Soup

This rich, creamy beer cheese soup is decadent comfort food. Three cheese, bacon, and beer create a soup that will stick to your ribs & warm you inside out!

Course Appetizer, Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword appetizers, cheese soup, soup recipes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 1041kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

1/2 pound bacon cut into 1/3-inch pieces
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 large jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
1 (12-ounce) bottle lager or pilsner
2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
4 ounces smoked cheddar cheese, shredded
2 ounces monterey jack cheese
salt
black pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large pot, over medium-high heat, cook the bacon (1/2 pound) until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Add celery (1 rib), onion (1/2 cup), jalapeno (1 large), garlic (4 cloves), and thyme (1 tablespoon) to the pot and saute over medium heat until vegetables are soft about 8 minutes.
Melt the butter (4 tablespoons) in a small pot. Add the flour (1/4 cup)and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until lightly browned about 1-2 minutes. Pour in half of the beer and whisk until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Pour in chicken broth (2 1/4 cups) and bring soup to a simmer.
Pour the roux into the soup pot and whisk until incorporated. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then immediately reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally until soup thickens, about 8 minutes.
Stir in heavy cream (1 cup), 3 cheeses, and the remaining beer and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked bacon and season with salt and pepper.

Notes

Bacon - I like to use uncured bacon because it doesn’t have nitrates. The concern associated with cured meat that contains nitrates about their cancer-causing effects just isn’t worth the risk for me. Check out this article if you want to know more here.
Onion, Garlic,+ Celery - Sautéing veggies before they go into the soup is essential. It draws out their sweet mellow nuances that ‘build’ the layers of flavor in this soup and it sweats out any bitterness in the veggies. That’s what you want
Jalapeño - Most of the heat in the jalapeno is in the ribs and seeds. If you remove them, the jalapeno will only have a bit of heat. If you want to learn more about the spice level of jalapeno, read this article.
Lager or Pilsner - Either of these beers will add a rich, earthy flavor without being too heavy. More info on cooking with beer.
Low-sodium Chicken Broth - I use low sodium chicken broth in this recipe to reduce the amount of salt in the recipe. The cheese will add a lot of salt so you don't want to add too much!
Heavy Cream - It's important to use heavy cream and nothing lighter. The higher fat content is important to mix together with the melted cheese. It also adds even more creaminess to this wonderful soup.
3 Cheese - The 3 different types of cheese used in this soup create a complex, layered flavor profile in this soup.

Nutrition