Creamy White Cheddar Beer Cheese Soup

This beer cheese soup recipe was super popular on Pinterest a few years ago, and for good reason! It’s creamy, decadent, packed with flavor, and so incredibly cozy and comforting anytime of the year. I learned this recipe from a sous chef that I worked with in Chicago a few years ago, and it’s easily the best recipe for beer cheese soup that I’ve ever had.

There’s quite a few ingredients in this recipe, but they all blend harmoniously to create the most amazing homemade beer & cheese soup! I add jalapeños to my version, but feel free to omit them if you’d rather not have any heat in your soup.

Ingredients for Creamy Beer Cheese Soup:

• 4 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• 1/2 cup finely chopped Celery
• 1/3 cup finely chopped Carrot
• 1 cup chopped White Onion
• 1 tbsp. minced Garlic
• 1 tbsp. minced Jalapeño (optional)
• 1/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup Light Beer*
• 1 cup Chicken Stock
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 1/2 tbsp. whole Black Peppercorns
• 1/2 tbsp. toasted Caraway Seeds
• small handful fresh Thyme sprigs
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Half and Half
• 2 1/2 cups shredded White Cheddar Cheese**
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 large Bread Bowls
• chopped Chives (for garnish)

*The style of beer you use DOES matter! Read below for my recommendation.

**Grating cheddar from a block of cheese is ideal for this recipe. Packaged shredded cheese contains an anti-caking agent that doesn’t allow it to melt as smoothly into the soup.

Best Beer for Beer Cheese Soup

Use a light lager for this soup. A domestic beer (such as Bud Light, Coors Light, Miller Lite, etc.) is ideal. You could also use a pilsner (such as Stella Artois, Pilsner Urquell, or even Alma Mader Premiant Czech-Style Pilsner if you’re in Kansas City). In my opinion, avoid any heavy beers such as stouts or porters, and avoid any overly hopped beers such as IPAs. The flavors can conflict with the ingredients in the soup if they’re too forward.

I was first introduced to this soup when I was working (and basically living) at a super popular restaurant in the Fulton River District in Chicago. I ran every single event, which put me there at least six days a week. I was lucky enough to order whatever I wanted from the menu for lunch and dinner everyday, but eventually the same menu gets a little old. The sous chef that worked there at the time was super talented, and he loved coming up with various soups to feature every couple of days.

THIS beer cheddar soup was like a godsend when he rolled it out one afternoon, and I begged for the recipe for a few weeks afterwards. He eventually texted the recipe to me, and I kept it on my phone for years! I tweaked it a little and scaled it down to a small batch version, so now you get to experience the same soup I did so many years ago!

How to Make Creamy Cheddar Beer Cheese Soup

1. Melt the butter in a deep pot over medium heat. Stir in chopped celery, carrot, onion, garlic, and jalapeño (if using). Cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very tender.
2. Sprinkle the flour over the cooked vegetables, and stir continuously to avoid browning. Cook for 3-4 minutes to cook out the “flour” taste. The consistency of the vegetables will begin to resemble a vegetable “paste” at this point.
3. Slowly stir in the beer, then stir in the chicken stock. Add the bay leaf, peppercorns, caraway seeds, and thyme.
4. Simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Stir in the milk and half & half. Bring the soup to q cook boil, then immediately turn it back down to a simmer. Simmer for ten minutes.
6. Whisk in the cheese. Check the consistency of the soup, and add more stock if it seems too thick.
7. Strain the soup into another large pot, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve hot in bread bowls, and garnish with chopped chives (and bacon if you like!)

The original recipe had the peppercorns, bay leaf, caraway and thyme packed into a sachet rather than tossed freely into the soup.  While I was initially testing this recipe, I did not have a cheesecloth on hand to make a sachet, so I just added those ingredients directly into my soup. I feel like it’s easier this way and doesn’t change the end result at all.

Note : a “sachet” is a French term that is used to describe a small cloth sack filled with herbs / potpourri / aromatics.  Typically used for recipes, or tea. 🙂  

You see, I have priorities, and one of those was to make this soup for myself someday.  Talk about finally achieving some life goals you’ve set out for yourself.  Feels good to check this one off the list.

Can You Freeze Beer Cheese Soup

No. Unfortunately, creamy soups don’t reheat well. They have a tendency to separate after they’re frozen and reheated, so I recommend not freezing beer cheese soup. This is a small batch recipe that won’t last long, but you could refrigerate it for 3-4 days and slowly reheat it in a saucepan over medium-low heat.

This spicy white cheddar beer cheese soup is rich, it’s decadent, and it leaves you wanting more.  Truly.  I highly recommend having a bright, crisp salad with this rich and savory soup.  It’ll be the perfect combination for any rainy day, or really, just any day. 🙂

Other Soup Recipes for Two People

• Small Batch Chicken and Vegetable Soup
• Small Batch Kale and White Bean Soup
• Southwestern Rotisserie Chicken Soup
• Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup for Two
• Small Batch Loaded Potato Soup for Two
• Simple Spicy Tomato Soup

If you make this cheddar beer soup and love it, I would love a rating and comment below! If you have any questions about the ingredients or recipe, feel free to email me so I can help.  And be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see YOUR beer cheese soup pics!

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Creamy White Cheddar Beer Cheese Soup

Author sara rose : a flavor journal.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Servings 2 bread bowls

Decadent, creamy beer cheese soup with cheddar cheese, light beer, and so much flavor. The perfect beer cheese soup recipe for two people!

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 1 hr

Total Time 1 hr 15 mins

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Ingredients

 

• ▢ 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• ▢ 1/2 cup celery chopped
• ▢ 1/3 cup carrot finely chopped
• ▢ 1 cup white onion chopped
• ▢ 1 Tbsp. garlic chopped
• ▢ 1 Tbsp. jalapeno chopped (remove seeds)
• ▢ 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup of light beer a light lager is preferable
• ▢ 1 cup chicken stock
• ▢ 1 bay leaf
• ▢ 1/2 Tbsp. black peppercorns whole
• ▢ 1/2 Tbsp. caraway seeds toasted if possible
• ▢ small handful of fresh thyme sprigs
• ▢ 1/2 cup milk room temperature
• ▢ 1/2 cup half and half room temperature
• ▢ 2 1/2 cups of white cheddar cheese shredded (adjust this to your liking!)
• ▢ salt and pepper to taste
• ▢ 2 large or 4 (small) bread bowls
• ▢ chives and chopped bacon for garnish

Instructions

• In a deep pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add celery, carrot, onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook until veggies become very tender, about 20 minutes.
• Add flour, and stir continuously to avoid browning. Let the veggies and flour cook for a few minutes, as this will alleviate the "flour" taste from occurring in the soup. The consistency of the veggies and flour together should feel similar to a vegetable "paste" as you stir it.
• Slowly add the beer, while still stirring continuously. Then, slowly whisk in the chicken stock. Add the bay leaf, black peppercorns, caraway seeds, and fresh thyme.
• Simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add the room temperature milk and half and half, then stir to blend everything together, and bring to a quick boil. As soon as the soup starts to boil, immediately turn the heat back down to a simmer, and allow it to simmer for another ten minutes.
• Whisk in cheese, and check to be sure consistency is to your liking. Add more stock if it seems too thick.
• Strain entire contents into another large pot, and add salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve in a bread bowls, garnish as you please, and enjoy!

Notes

This will make two big bowls of soup, or four smaller ones.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bread bowl | Calories: 572kcal

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