If you love traditional beer cheese spread, you'll flip for this creamy Beer and Cheese Soup recipe! Featuring rich ale, sharp cheddar cheese, subtly spicy pepper jack, and sweet pimento peppers, this beer soup isn't just perfectly cozy and delicious, it's also super easy to make too! Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
1 1/2heaping CupsShredded Pepper Jack Cheese– (about 5.25 ounces) (SEE NOTES)
1(7-8 ounce) jarDiced Pimientos– drained
ToTasteKosher Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
OptionalGarnishes:Hot Sauce, Smoked Paprika, Fresh Parsley or Scallions
Instructions
Cook Aromatic: Melt butter in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the shallots, celery and jalapeno. Season with smoked paprika, 1 ¼ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, about 4-5 minutes.
Add flour: Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes.
Add beer and broth: Slowly add in the broth and beer, whisking. Stir in the mustard and Worcestershire. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil, whisking occasionally. Immediately reduce heat to maintain a rapid simmer. Cook until the soup is thickened, whisking occasionally, 10 minutes.
Add cream: Whisk in the cream. Bring to a gentle simmer and immediately reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking occasionally, until the soup is creamy, about 5 minutes. OPTIONAL - blend soup: For a super creamy soup, turn the heat off under the pot and use an immersion blender to puree the soup. Alternatively, transfer the soup to a stand blender in batches and puree. Return soup to the pot.
Add cheese in handfuls, then pimentos: Reduce heat to low. Add both cheeses gradually, 1 handful at a time, whisking until smooth between each addition. Stir the beer cheese soup until it is completely smooth. Then, add the pimentos to the pot and stir to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
Garnish and Serve: Ladle soup into serving bowl and top with desired garnishes. Enjoy while warm!
Video
Notes
Beer: Be very careful with your choice of beer! I recommend using a mild-tasting beer and tasting the beer FIRST. The beer contributes a TON of flavor to this soup. It is imperative you use a beer you like and avoid using a beer that has a bitter, hoppy taste. (I don’t recommend IPAs, APAs or Strong Brown Ale). I tend to use an American Amber.
Cheese: I recommend you buy blocks of cheese and shred them yourself for this soup recipe (or any recipe, really). While those packages of pre-shredded cheese are convenient, they unfortunately have a white coating made of additives that prevent it from melting smoothly.
Adding Cheese to the Soup: Make sure your heat is on low and add the cheese in handfuls, stirring in between each addition. Low heat and gradually adding the cheese will prevent the cheese from clumping!
Yield: Approximately 5 cupsServes: 4-6 peopleNutrition facts are an estimate based upon 6 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.