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Beer Cheese Soup

cheese and beer soup

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Those who know me also know I’m not a beer fan. At all! However, there are 2 exceptions to this rule. First of all I’ve discovered I don’t mind Michelob Ultra. Second, I really like beer in cheese soup. There’s also a third exception to my no beer rule, which is this: I love a good beer batter on fried fish!

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ pound (225g) chopped bacon
  • 1 minced jalapeño
  • 1 minced small onion
  • 1 minced red bell pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • ¼ cup (35g) all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups (375ml) pilsner or light beer
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup (250ml) heavy cream
  • 1 cups (500ml) chicken stock or bouillon
  • 10 ounces (285g) shredded cheddar
  • 2 ounces (55g) shredded pepper jack
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste

Optional Ingredients

  • Flat leaf parsley
  • Chives

Instructions

  1. Fry the bacon until crisp then drain on paper towels.
  2. Discard all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease in the pan.
  3. Add the bell pepper, onion, thyme, and jalapeño and cook for 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in the butter.
  5. Sprinkle over the flour and stir well, then pour in the beer.
  6. Keep cooking, stirring all the time, until the mixture is thick.
  7. Add the chicken stock and cream and keep simmering gently.
  8. Add the cheese and stir until melted, then add salt and black pepper to taste.
  9. Garnish with parsley or chives, if liked, or with more crumbled bacon.

Notes

  • Use a light-colored beer to make this soup, perhaps a pilsner.
  • As for the jalapeño, use less or omit it if you don’t want much or any spice.
  • You can use 2 kinds of cheddar (perhaps extra-sharp and medium) instead of one if you prefer

Keywords: beer cheese soup, cheese soup with beer