Wisconsin Native's Beer Cheese Soup

4.6
(393)

This beer cheese soup is delicious. As a Wisconsin native, I'm accustomed to a fantastic beer cheese soup. This recipe is a salute to my home state, America's dairy land, and a state that brews a mighty fine beer. Serve with lots of popcorn floating on top!

close up on a bowl of Wisconsin natives beer cheese soup
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Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
40 mins
Total Time:
1 hr
Servings:
8

“This beer cheese soup is creamy and rich, with a nice balance of flavors,” says recipe tester and test kitchen expert Julia Levy. “The beer adds a nice ‘earthiness,’ which complements the mustard and cheddar cheese well.”

Beer Cheese Soup Ingredients

These are the ingredients you’ll need to make this homemade beer cheese soup recipe: 

  • Bacon: Bacon is optional, but it adds a deep meaty flavor. 
  • Vegetables: From the vegetable aisle, you’ll need onions, carrots, and celery. 
  • Seasonings: Season the beer cheese soup with fresh garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and dry mustard. 
  • Butter and flour: Make a roux with equal parts butter and all-purpose flour.  
  • Beer: It wouldn’t be beer cheese soup without a bottle of beer! 
  • Broth: Use store-bought or homemade chicken broth. 
  • Milk: The creamy recipe calls for whole milk, but you can use half-and-half for an even richer soup. 
  • Sauces and condiments: Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce take the flavor up a notch. 
  • Cheese: You’ll need about three cups of sharp Cheddar cheese. 
  • Popcorn: Popped popcorn makes a fun, tasty topping. 

How to Make Beer Cheese Soup

You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect: 

  1. Cook the bacon (if using), then transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate.
  2. Cook the vegetables in the drippings (if you’re not using bacon, cook them in oil). 
  3. Make a roux, then stir in the beer. Cook until thick. 
  4. Stir in the broth and milk, then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking until thickened. 
  5. Stir in Dijon, Worcestershire, dry mustard, and hot sauce and remove from heat. 
  6. Add the cheese slowly.
  7. Serve hot and, if you like, topped with popcorn and bacon. 

Test Kitchen Tips

This top-rated user recipe was tested in our test kitchen. Here are some tips from recipe tester Julia Levy

  • Don’t use pre-shredded cheese in this recipe, as it will not melt as well due to the starches that are used to coat the shreds. 
  • Use your favorite low-hop beer. The more hops, the more bitter your soup will be. Most pilsners will work well, but avoid pale ales and IPAs. 
  • Adding the beer before the chicken broth helps to get rid of some of the initial alcohol harshness.

What to Serve With Beer Cheese Soup

This beer cheese soup works well with crusty bread, such as our top-rated French bread recipe. Find more delicious serving inspiration in this collection of Side Dishes for Soup.

How to Store Beer Cheese Soup

Store your leftover beer cheese soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat on the stove or in the microwave. 

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

Ingredients

  • 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped (Optional)

  • 1 ½ cups diced carrots

  • 1 ½ cups diced yellow onion

  • 1 ½ cups diced celery

  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

  • cup unsalted butter

  • cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 (12-ounce) bottle pilsner-style beer

  • 3 cups chicken broth

  • 2 cups whole milk or half-and-half

  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard

  • 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

  • 12 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)

  • popped plain or salted popcorn, for garnish

Directions

  1. Gather all ingredients.

    ingredients gathered to make Wisconsin natives beer cheese soup

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Heat bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving drippings.

    crispy bacon in a large dutch oven

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Add carrots, onion, and celery to drippings and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

    vegetables and seasonings added to the dutch oven

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Add butter and cook, stirring constantly, until melted. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

    butter and flour added, stirring until browned

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. Stir in beer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

    beer poured in, stirring until thickened

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  6. Stir in broth and half-and-half; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, just until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon, 12 to 15 minutes. 

    broth and half-and-half stirred in until it coats the back of a spoon

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  7. Stir in Dijon, Worcestershire, dry mustard, and hot sauce until fully incorporated. Remove from heat.

    more seasonings being added to the dutch oven

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  8. Add cheese, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until melted before adding more.  

    cheese added until melted

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  9. Serve hot, topped with popcorn and reserved bacon.

    soup topped with bacon and popcorn

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

From the Editor

This recipe was tested in the Allrecipes test kitchen and updated to use a pilsner-style beer, plus to use one pot to make the soup.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

565 Calories
40g Fat
21g Carbs
27g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 565
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 40g 51%
Saturated Fat 25g 123%
Cholesterol 119mg 40%
Sodium 908mg 39%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 8%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 27g 54%
Vitamin C 5mg 6%
Calcium 788mg 61%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 494mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.

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