Creamy Beer Cheese Soup

I tried making this beer cheese soup once when I lived in Chicago. I didn’t even try making it again for years. Everything was going great until I had to add the beer. I wanted to use a craft beer and I’ve put this memory so far out of my mind that I can’t even remember what kind it was.

All I remember is that the bottle was not a twist-off and I couldn’t get the bottle open. I was struggling with it forever and placed it on my counter for leverage, I tried to pop the lid with all my might and it slipped right out from under me and shot across the kitchen. I picked it up, sat it down, glad it was open, and didn’t break. As I’m cleaning up the minor spill, I knocked the entire open bottle over. Not only did I knock it over, but I also knocked it right onto my laptop.

As I was frantically trying to clean it up so I wouldn’t have to tell Ben what I’d done, I smell something burning. Of course, my creamy cheese soup was now a brown, sticky mess burnt to the bottom of my pan.

A few years later, I was ready to attempt it again. So, finally, here is the finished product.

Beer Cheese Soup Ingredients

4 Tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic – minced or grated
1 jalapeno pepper – seeded and diced
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 celery stalk – diced
1 cup milk (or heavy cream if you want to go for it, which I did)
1 carrot – peeled and diced
12 oz. bottle of pale beer – I used a pale ale
12 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt
Black Pepper

How to Make Beer Cheese Soup

In a saucepan, melt your butter on medium heat and add your celery, carrot, jalapeno and garlic.

Let them cook until they get tender, 6-7 minutes.

Add your chicken broth and simmer until it has reduced by about half, about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle your flour over the veggies and cook on medium-low heat until the flour is no longer bright white and becomes a thick paste, about a minute.

Pour in your beer and milk or cream and stir constantly until everything thickens, about 10 minutes.

Add your spices and stir until creamy and thick.

Once it’s thickened, you’ll want to use an immersion blender to puree the ingredients and make it nice and creamy. Do this before adding your cheese because cheese can gum up your blender blades.

If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a regular blender. Just be sure to only fill your blender half full and to leave the lid cracked some. Otherwise, the hot soup can create a vacuum and you’ll end up with a (hot and dangerous) mess on your hands.

Once your soup is creamy, you can add in your cheese and stir until it is completely melted.

Top with popcorn. Or more jalapenos. Or extra cheese. Or bacon. Or croutons. Or all of the above. I love soup toppings!

What Kind of Beer is Best for Beer Cheese Soup?

I tend to reach for brown ales or wheat beers for beer cheese soup. Dark beers, like porters, are also delicious. Choose one with a slightly higher ABV, those tend to have more flavor and then bring more flavor to your soup.

While my favorite beer to drink is a hoppy, citrusy IPA, I would avoid those types of beers in this soup. Though delicious, and I even like a little bitterness, they will just overpower the rest of the flavors.

The Best Cheese for Beer Cheese Soup

Hands down, I would go with sharp cheddar for beer cheese soup. You need a strong flavor and sharp cheddar gives you that. I

Tips for Smooth and Creamy Beer Cheese Soup

Here are a few tips to make your beer cheese soup luscious and creamy.

Try to let your milk warm close to room temperature before adding it to your roux.
Add your milk slowly at first, whisking constantly.
Stir pretty constantly after adding all of your milk.
Use an immersion blender or regular blender or food processor before adding your cheese.

Helpful Items

Some helpful cookware to make this beer cheese soup recipe even easier.

Immersion Blender: This is the KitchenAid immersion blender I own and that I used for this recipe. I like it because the metal head is strong and easy to clean.

Blender: While I normally use an immersion blender for most soups, a high-quality blender does a great job. I love my Ninja Professional Blender because it’s powerful and affordable, at around $90.

Food Processor: If you don’t have an immersion or counter-top blender, a food processor can always work, too! I have this Cuisinart food processor and love all the functions it has.

Chaos in the Kitchen

While I was writing this, I started thinking of a few other times I had chaos in the kitchen. Ben still reminds me of the time I threw a spatula clear across the room. I know I’ve wasted so much time and money on food that ends up being a complete disaster.

At the time, I am just miserable. I get mad at myself, I feel like an idiot with no cooking skills, but you know what? Who cares. Everyone makes mistakes. You cannot learn without practice. I bet Ina Garten has burned something. At least once in her life. Okay, maybe not Ina, but I bet some other amazing cook has.

It happens. It is not the end of the world and you learn from your mistakes, learn to control your temper, and keep on cooking. All the mess-ups will be worth it when you finally sit down to a perfect bowl of beer cheese soup.