Creamy Beer Cheese Soup Recipe with Crispy Bacon Topping

Okay… help me.

I need a soup intervention — a souptervention, if you will.

Soup has been all I can think about lately. Even though it still feels like summer, I couldn’t resist making bread bowls and filling them with the one soup that was calling my name: this beer cheese soup. The cheese soup base is a family favorite and one of the first recipes I shared here, and adding beer only improves it. Yes — beer in soup.

This is a treat I don’t make often. It pops up around Oktoberfest or on restaurant menus, often as a high-maintenance dish because any recipe with cups of melted cheese requires a bit of attention. You can’t walk away — it needs gentle stirring and care so the texture stays silky rather than gluey.

But it’s absolutely worth the effort. Our favorite version finishes with crisp bacon and sweet roasted red pepper folded in at the end. From there you can use this as a base for a more traditional beer cheese — add carrots, celery, or other vegetables if you like — or take it in your own direction. Green peppers, jalapeños, shredded chicken — go ahead and customize. The soup does have a beer flavor, so choose a beer you enjoy; a lighter wheat beer tends to work well, but a small taste of beer in the final dish is part of the appeal.

And yes — dunking long pieces of bread into this soup is mandatory. I won’t judge how many pieces you dip.

Beer Cheese Soup

Yield:

4
to 6

Prep Time:
10 mins

Cook Time:
30 mins

Total Time:
40 mins

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5 from 3 votes

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Ingredients

• 3 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
• 1 sweet onion, finely diced
• 1/2 red pepper, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups of your favorite beer (lighter wheat beers work best)
• 1 cup half and half
• 4 ounces sharp white cheddar, freshly grated
• 4 ounces extra sharp yellow cheddar, freshly grated
• 4 ounces colby jack, freshly grated
• Fresh herbs for garnish (cilantro suggested)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Easy whole wheat bread bowls (for serving)

Instructions

• Heat a large stockpot over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Fry until crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Reduce heat to low and add the onions, red pepper and garlic, stirring to coat. Cook about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and translucent, stirring occasionally.
• Increase heat to medium-high and add the butter. When it sizzles, add the flour and cook 3–4 minutes until the roux is golden and nutty. Gradually pour in the beer while stirring constantly; cook about 5 minutes to cook off alcohol and allow the mixture to thicken slightly.
• Stir in the half and half, then reduce heat to low. Gradually add the grated cheeses a handful at a time, stirring until fully melted and smooth before adding more. Fold the cooked bacon back into the soup, season with salt and pepper if needed, and serve immediately in bread bowls or bowls garnished with fresh herbs.

Notes

Cheese soups can thicken when they sit. Make this as close to serving time as possible. If the soup gets too thick, add a little more liquid (beer, milk or broth) and stir over low heat to restore the texture. Reheat gently the same way.

This soup is adapted from a long-standing family cheese soup.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: American

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I can now rest easy.