Beer Cheese Soup

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/30/21
beer cheese soup

 Leah Maroney

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 6 servings

Everyone needs beer cheese soup in their lives during the chilly winter months. Great as a weeknight meal or game day snack, this soup is a true bowl of comfort. It has a few simple ingredients, but you can also easily spice it up by adding bacon, chorizo, or hot sauce. The soup is cozy, creamy, and decadent, especially when you serve it in a pretzel bread bowl. With its thick and velvety texture, beer cheese soup is perfect for dipping—it's almost like enjoying a queso!

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Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons salted butter

  • 1 carrot, diced

  • 1 stalk celery , diced

  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced

  • 1 clove garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 2 teaspoons thyme

  • 20 ounces lager

  • 5 cups chicken broth

  • 1 pint half-and-half

  • 16 ounces cream cheese

  • 4 cups freshly shredded cheddar cheese

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 cup bacon crumbles

  • 1/4 cup chives, minced

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather your ingredients.

    beer cheese soup
     Leah Maroney

  2. Add the butter to a medium heavy-bottomed pot. Allow the butter to melt over medium heat and add the chopped carrots, celery, onion, and garlic.

    beer cheese soup
     Leah Maroney

  3. Add a teaspoon of salt and saute the vegetables on medium heat until they are softened and slightly browned, about 10 minutes.

    beer cheese soup
    Leah Maroney 

  4. Add the chicken broth and thyme to the vegetables and pour it all into a blender and blend until smooth.

    beer cheese soup
     Leah Maroney

  5. Pour the mixture back into the pot and add the beer. Heat on medium heat, whisking to incorporate the beer.

    beer cheese soup
     Leah Maroney

  6. Add the half and half and softened cream cheese and gently whisk into the soup. Make sure the cream cheese is softened; it will incorporate into the soup more smoothly this way.

    beer cheese soup
     Leah Maroney

  7. Toss the shredded cheddar with the cornstarch until the cheese is coated evenly. Add one handful of cheese at a time, whisking it into the soup until it is melted and incorporated. If you add too much at one time, it can become clumpy, so do this slowly. Simmer for another five minutes until it has thickened, stirring frequently.

    beer cheese soup
    Leah Maroney 

  8. Season the soup with more salt as needed and add the pepper. If you want the soup even smoother you can pass it through a sieve or add it back to the blender and blend again.

    beer cheese soup
     Leah Maroney

  9. Serve the soup in hollowed out pretzel bread bowls or regular bread bowls. You can also serve in a plain old bowl with some delicious bread or pretzel sticks!

    beer cheese soup
     Leah Maroney

  10. Top with the chopped chives and bacon.

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Tips

  • Do not use pre-shredded cheese for this recipe. The bagged cheeses contain anti-caking agents that can make the texture of the soup grainy.
  • Use a variety of cheddars, varying from sweet to aged to smoked. This will create a complex and sophisticated flavor for the soup. Make sure they are high-quality cheeses for the best flavor.
  • Lagers and Pilsners work best for this soup, however you can also use other varieties. Make sure to choose a beer that you enjoy drinking as you will taste the flavor in the soup. You can use stronger beers like pale ales, but only if you really enjoy them and are ready for a very strong beer cheese soup.

Recipe Variations

  • Add chorizo to the pan before you saute the vegetables. Remove the chorizo from the pan once it has browned and then saute the vegetables in the same pan.
  • Incorporate a little smoked paprika when you add the time for a smokier tasting soup.
  • Make it vegetarian by replacing the chicken broth with vegetable broth and omit the bacon at the end.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
546 Calories
45g Fat
19g Carbs
13g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 546
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 45g 57%
Saturated Fat 26g 132%
Cholesterol 135mg 45%
Sodium 1617mg 70%
Total Carbohydrate 19g 7%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 13g
Vitamin C 4mg 20%
Calcium 224mg 17%
Iron 1mg 3%
Potassium 403mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)