Ingredients
- 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
Method
- Fry the bacon until crisp then drain on paper towels.
- Discard all but about 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease in the pan.
- Add the bell pepper, onion, thyme, and jalapeño and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the butter.
- Sprinkle over the flour and stir well, then pour in the beer.
- Keep cooking, stirring all the time, until the mixture is thick.
- Add the chicken stock and cream and keep simmering gently.
- Add the cheese and stir until melted, then add salt and black pepper to taste.
- 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