Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup

A creamy, cheesy soup that can be made gluten free or low carb.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings or more

Calories 529kcal

Author Meghan

Ingredients

5 tablespoons butter divided
1 celery rib chopped small
1 carrot peeled and chopped small
1 small onion chopped small
1 red bell pepper seeded and chopped small
1 large jalapeno ribs and seeds removed and minced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
½ tablespoon Worcestershire
12 ounces beer ale, lager, or pilsner
2¼ cups low sodium chicken broth
¼ cup flour see note
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces sharp cheddar shredded
4 ounces smoked cheddar shredded

Optional Toppings:

Cheddar cheese shredded
Green onions sliced thin

Instructions

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large soup pot or Dutch/French oven. Saute celery, carrot, onion, bell pepper, and jalapeno until soft, about 10 minutes.
1 celery rib, 1 carrot, 1 small onion, 1 red bell pepper, 1 large jalapeno
Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in dry mustard, thyme and Worcestershire.
2 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, ½ tablespoon Worcestershire
Add half of the beer and bring to a simmer until volume of beer is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Add the chicken broth and bring back to a simmer. If you prefer a smooth soup, use an immersion blender to puree at this step. If not, proceed with next step.
2¼ cups low sodium chicken broth
In a separate small skillet, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk this roux mixture into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook until the soup is thickened, approximately 8 minutes.
¼ cup flour
Remove the pot from heat. Slowly add the heavy cream and cheeses and the rest of the beer. You can add the cheese in several additions. Make sure the soup is not too hot when the cheese goes in.
1 cup heavy cream, 8 ounces sharp cheddar, 4 ounces smoked cheddar
Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, if necessary. Add a bit more broth if the soup is too thick for your preference.
Serve with optional toppings of shredded cheese and sliced green onions.

Notes

For gluten free, use a measure for measure gluten free flour in place of all purpose.

For low carb, substitute ½ teaspoon xanthan gum in place of flour when making roux. Add ¼ teaspoon, whisk well, then add the other ¼ teaspoon, whisk and cook briefly before whisking mixture into soup. The butter mixture will still resemble melted butter, but when added to the soup, the soup will thicken quickly.

Source: Adapted from Food & Wine

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