Easy 20-Minute Beer Cheese Soup

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Warm, cozy, hearty, and creamy, this easy Beer Cheese Soup, filled with carrots, celery, and flavorful cheddar cheese, can be on the dinner table in 20 minutes!

Perfect for a quick weeknight meal, appetizer, or even to serve at a game day party.

Two types of people live in this world: those that think there is a "soup season" and those who think Soup Recipes should be enjoyed year-round.

I fall into the latter. It is clearly obvious with my Turkey Taco Soup, Instant Pot Chicken Wild Rice Soup, and Instant Pot Beef and Barley Soup. 

Table of Contents

• What Is Beer Cheese Soup?
• Why You’ll Love Beer Cheese Soup
• Why This Recipe Works
• How To Make Beer Cheese Soup
• Ingredient Notes
• Easy Instructions With Photos
• Pro Recipe Tips
• Recipe Variations
• Make it Vegan! 
• History of Beer Cheese Soup
• What To Serve With Beer Cheese Soup
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
• More Soup Recipes You’ll Love
• Recipe
• Reviews

What Is Beer Cheese Soup?

Beer Cheese Soup is a decadent, rich, and creamy soup worthy of a football-watching Sunday afternoon or a special occasion.

This cheese soup is roux-based, meaning it is thickened with a combination of flour and butter and then flavored with your favorite beer and, of course, your favorite Wisconsin or cheddar cheese. 

Why You’ll Love Beer Cheese Soup

• Cozy, Hearty & Warm. There is nothing quite like a steaming bowl of soup. Make it creamy and soul-warming, and you've won the cozy soup lottery. 
• Easy. It really doesn't get easier than this beer cheese soup recipe. It takes about 10 minutes to chop up the veggies and 10 minutes to make the soup. If you are even tighter on time, most groceries offer a pre-chopped carrot-onion-celery blend. It is also all made in just one pot, so clean up is a breeze. 
• Creamy. This soup doesn't just use cream. It blends butter, cream, whole milk and cheese to make the ultimate creamy soup that is the perfect spoonable texture and consistency. 
• Unlimited Variations. When I say the sky is the limit, I'm not joking. With such a versatile base, customize your beer cheese soup or make a soup bar. 

Why This Recipe Works

I've tried many cheesy recipes in my time and with this one we've done our due diligence to make sure it is the ultimate easy soup recipe. What makes ours the best? 

• Some don't include a thickening agent, but ours uses a roux, which means that your cheese won't end up a giant melty cheese ball instead of smooth and creamy. 
• Garlic and bay leaves provide subtle, but sophisticated flavor, as does the blend of both sharp cheddar and mild cheddar cheese. 
• Instead of plain water, we amp it up with vegetable stock and a splash of Worcestershire sauce, notorious for adding robust tang.
• Many beer cheese soups are completely smooth, but we like a little texture, so we kept the chopped carrots and celery whole with a silky soup base. 

How To Make Beer Cheese Soup

Equipment

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• Large Saucepan – I used a 3 quart sauce pan for this soup recipe.
• Large wooden spoon – Wooden spoons are excellent for cooking, as they do not scratch nonstick surfaces.
• Cutting board – You will need a cutting board to chop vegetables, I like a large cutting board for cooking.
• Chef’s Knife – Every cooks needs a good quality chef’s knife in their kitchen.

Ingredient Notes

Below, I discuss the ingredients and possible substitutions if you don't have a specific ingredient. However, if you are looking for the specific measurements of each ingredient, scroll down to the bottom of this article, just above the comments, for the printable recipe card, which includes all the ingredients and the specific amounts of each one.

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil. While I like the clean taste of first pressed olive oil, any neutral oil will also work. Avocado, vegetable and canola are good options. 
• Onion. we used a small TB onion, but feel free to swap out any other type of onion you prefer. One small onion equals approximately 1/3 cup chopped. 
• Carrot. Not only do carrots provide flavor, but they also add to the beautiful hue of the soup. 
• Celery. You'll need about 2 regular size stalks. 
• Garlic. Garlic is such a personal decision. Feel free to add more or less depending on preference. 
• Bay Leaves. This is a rare circumstance where dried is actually better than fresh. Fresh bay leaves can impart a slightly bitter essence that dried do not. 
• Unsalted Butter. We prefer to use unsalted butter to have more control over the saltiness. The stock and cheese will also add salt. You can always add more, but it is challenging to reduce, so start with the "less is more" theory. 
• All-purpose Flour. AP flour is ground super fine, so it makes the best roux and soup base, but alternative flours can be used. 
• Light Beer. Light beer gives the most mild flavor, so it is the clear choice for dinner parties or a soup bar, however you can amplify it by using a more complex beer like a lager, IPA (for a hoppy soup) or even a dark stout, which will not only deepen the flavor, but also the color. 
• Vegetable stock. Alternately, you can use chicken stock or just water, but it does add seasoning to the soup base. Again, we prefer low sodium varieties to have full control over the saltiness.  
• Worcestershire sauce. A little goes a long way so just a splash is all you need. 
• Whole milk & Heavy Cream. A combination of whole milk and heavy cream provides the best texture balance for this soup recipe. You can opt for a lower fat content milk, but beware it might be thinner than expected. 
• Sharp Cheddar & Mild Cheddar Cheese. Using a blend will offer a multi-note gusto in the soup. Opt to shred your own, while it does take a little more time, it is well worth it. Pre-shredded cheeses are tossed in starch to prevent clumping, which can alter the overall texture of your soup.  
• Sea salt and Freshly Ground Pepper. Use to taste or even serve on the side with your soup. 
• Chives. Not only do they provide a beautiful color contrast, they also give a fresh and cold crunch. Scallions can also be used. 
• Bread. While not mandatory, there is nothing like dipping a crusty slice of bread into a piping hot bowl of soup… or making sure you don't miss a bite by cleaning the bowl with it. Elevate yours by using buttery garlic bread, toasted sourdough or serve it in a hallowed out pumpernickel bread bowl. 

Easy Instructions With Photos

• Because the soup comes together in a snap, prep the ingredients before you get started. 
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. When hot, add the onion, carrots, celery and bay leaves sauteing until slightly soft and fragrant. 

• Add the butter until melted and then remove the bay leaves. We like to keep them in until the butter is melted so it is infused. 

• Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, whisk to make a paste, also known as a blond roux. 

• While whisking to prevent lumps, pour in the beer, broth, Worcestershire, milk and cream, bring to a low simmer. Be mindful to not overheat, which can cause these ingredients to separate instead of marry. 

• When the mixture is warm, add shredded cheese in small increments to prevent clumping.

• Taste test and season with salt and pepper, as needed, garnish with chives and serve with crusty bread or your side of choice.

Pro Recipe Tips

• Don't turn up the heat. Soups with a roux and dairy base have the tendency to separate if the heat gets too high. Don't let it get above a low simmer. 
• Shred the cheese. Shredded cheese added gradually will melt the best and most evenly. Also make sure that the base is hot enough for the cheese to melt on contact or it could sink and burn to the bottom of the pan. 
• Make a Beer Cheese Soup Bar. Yes, a soup bar! Place your completed soup into a slow cooker on the "warm" setting with a ladle. In small bowl, provide all the variations and allow guests to build their bowl. 
• Shred your own cheese. I mention this twice because it is so important. Pre-shredded cheese is often the culprit for a grainy texture or weird aftertaste. 
• Dice the Veggies. Chop the carrots, onion and celery in a similar and small size. Since the soup isn't blended, you want to make sure all of the veggies are a uniform size. 

Recipe Variations

I keep referring to the long list of ways to customize this soup. Below are our favorites: 

• Crumbled Bacon- Add to the top, but be mindful that this also introduces salt to the mix, so season cautiously. 
• Mushrooms- Sliced dry cooked mushrooms on top or stirred in throughout the mixture keeps this a vegetarian dish, but makes it more of a main meal. 
• Shredded chicken- Looking to transform this into an entrée? Grab a rotisserie chicken at the store, shred it and toss 1-2 cups of chicken into the soup at the end. 
• Cajun seasoning– give it a little kick with 1 teaspoon of Cajun or creole seasoning. 
• Raisins- Wait, what? The original Sorbian version included raisins in the recipe. Sweet, little pockets of juiciness tastes remarkedly delicious in this savory soup.  
• Croutons- Adding both flavor and texture, wait to top your bowl of soup until right before serving so they don't get soggy. 
• Parmesan Crisps- For garnish and as a dipper, a parmesan crisp carries the theme of delicious cheese! 
• Nutmeg- Such an underused spice, a few fresh grates of nutmeg will give off a lovely scent perfect for those fall months. 
• Cheese- This is beer cheese soup, but no one says it must be cheddar. Clean out the cheese drawer with a blend. Other great choices are gouda, gruyere, Swiss and fontina. 
• Smooth it Out- If you want a perfectly smooth soup, feel free to use a stick blender (immersion blender) into the bowl at the very end to puree the veggies. 

Make it Vegan! 

While the base of this soup is heavily dairy-focused, it is easy to transform this into a vegan beer cheese soup. Here is how: 

• Use a dairy free heavy whipping cream, such as Silk brand. 
• Swap out whole milk for soy, almond or oat milk. 
• Vegan cheese will melt just as smoothly. 

History of Beer Cheese Soup

Beer Cheese Soup originated in Europe during medieval times. Because it was easy and relatively inexpensive to make, using only a handful of ingredients, it became customary to serve at inns and also to serve to the guards, servants, and soldiers. 

Since then, it has evolved into a popular soup with the trinity of vegetables, aromatics, and a blend of various types of cheeses.

Of course, Wisconsin may beg to differ as they claim to be the birthplace of beer cheese soup! Since Plymouth, Michigan is the cheese capital of the world, and their Wisconsin cheese soup is out of this world, it could very well be true.

What To Serve With Beer Cheese Soup

• Crusty bread
• Focaccia Bread
• Jalapeno Popper Cheesy Bread
• Croutons
• Parmesan Jalapeno Crisps
• Crackers
• Pretzel

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I Make This Cheese Soup Ahead of Time?

• Soup can be made up to 1 day ahead, but correct seasoning after reheating because chilling soups can often mute the salt and pepper.

How Do I Store Leftovers?

• Allow the soup to cool down completely before storing in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Can I Freeze Beer Cheese Soup?

• Freeze soup in in individual portions in airtight bags or containers for up to 3 months. Defrost completely before reheating. 

How Do I Reheat Beer Soup?

• Defrost completely before reheating. Reheat in the microwave on at 50% power at 30 seconds increments, stirring between each, until warm through or in a saucepan over low heat. If it gets too hot, it can separate.

More Soup Recipes You’ll Love

• Instant Pot Beef Stew
• Vegetarian Mediterranean Chili
• Instant Pot Butternut Squash Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken and Dumplings

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