Beer Cheese Soup

5 from 19 votes

This Beer Cheese Soup is insanely creamy, cheese, studded with sweet pimentos and accentuated with rich beer flavor! It's easy to make and perfect for easy comforting weeknight dinners! Or, it's a delicious addition to any game day spread!

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Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time25 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Soup, starter

Cuisine: American

Keyword: beer, cheese, pimento

Servings:

Calories: 227kcal

Author: Cheyanne Holzworth

Equipment

Large Saucepan or Dutch Oven

Ingredients

3 TBS Unsalted Butter
2 large Shallots – finely diced (about ¾ cup)
1 medium Celery Rib – finely diced (about ½ cup)
1 large Jalapeno - seeded and finely diced (about 1/3 cup)
6 TBS All-Purpose Flour - spooned & leveled
2 Cups Unsalted Chicken or Vegetable Broth
1 (12 ounce) Botle Ale – preferably a mild blond, light wheat, amber or pale ale (SEE NOTES)
1 1/2 tsp EACH: Smoked Paprika, Worcestershire Sauce & Dijon Mustard
1 Cup Heavy Cream
2 heaping Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese – (about 7 ounces) (SEE NOTES)
1 1/2 heaping Cups Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese – (about 5.25 ounces) (SEE NOTES)
1 (7-8 ounce) jar diced Pimientos – drained
Kosher Salt & Fresh Ground Pepper , to taste

For Serving: Hot Sauce, Smoked Paprika, Fresh Parsley or Scallions, Pretzels

Instructions

Cook vegetables: 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 broth and beer: 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: 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 then pimentos: Reduce heat to low. Add both cheeses gradually, 1 handful at a time, whisking until smooth between each addition. Stir until smooth. Add in the pimentos and stir to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve: Ladle soup into serving bowl and top with desired garnishes. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

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.
Use freshly shredded cheddar for this soup. Pre-shredded cheese has a white coating and additives that prevent it from melting smoothly.
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 cups

Serves: 4-6 people

Nutritional information is an approximation based upon 6 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.

Nutrition