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This award-winning sharp cheddar beer cheese soup has just the right splash of beer flavor and sharp cheddar tang. It’s perfect when topped with homemade soft pretzel croutons, fresh chives, and crispy bacon.
I won an award for this soup at a cheese cookoff tournament. Not only did I get bragging rights, but I got a snazzy little trophy, too. It sits on my desk.
That’s how good this beer cheese soup tastes.
It’s creamy, packed with cheese and a touch of beer, and topped with homemade soft pretzel croutons, chives, and lots of crispy bacon. It’s hands-down the best beer cheese soup you’ll ever taste! I used a mix of sharp cheddar and pepper jack to give this soup a deep, rich cheese flavor with a hint of spicy bite. I love the addition of pepper jack, but feel free to use something with less heat if spice is not your thing.
Or go crazy and use habanero cheese. It’s easily customizable.
I used a light Pilsner in the soup, and it worked perfectly. Avoid overly hoppy or dark beers, as they can leave behind a bitter flavor. For topping this soup, I went with minced chives, extra bacon, and homemade soft pretzel croutons. These toppings pair beautifully with the sharp, cheesy, beer-laden soup.
Can’t find soft pretzel buns? Or do you want to use what you have on hand? Try making my Homemade Croutons with Garlic Butter.
Ingredients needed
- bacon
- butter
- onion
- garlic
- all-purpose flour
- ground mustard
- chicken stock
- half and half
- light beer
- pepper jack cheese
- sharp cheddar cheese
- chives
- soft pretzel croutons
How to make beer cheese soup
I love making soup because it’s easy and perfect for cold winter nights. Or, if you’re like me, soup during the summer while I lounge in my air-conditioned house. My love of soup knows no season.
- Crisp your bacon in a soup pot, then remove it and set it aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
- Add butter, onions, and garlic. Gently saute until the onions are translucent.
- Sprinkle in the flour and ground mustard. Stir to combine.
- Slowly pour in the chicken stock and stir until combined, and you have no flour clumps.
- Add the half-and-half and the light beer and gently simmer for 10 minutes. The mixture should start thickening, but not as thick as the finished product.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the shredded cheese.
- Once combined, stir in most of the cooked bacon.
- Top the soup with minced chives, remaining leftover bacon, and soft pretzel croutons.
My Pro Tips
Cheese Soup Recipe Tips
- Don’t add too much cheese or let the soup sit over the heat for too long. This will cause the soup to “break,” meaning the fat and solids will separate, resulting in an oily soup.
- The crunchy croutons on top add an excellent texture to the soup, so don’t skip them.
- If you prefer a soup without heat, replace the pepper jack cheese with sharp cheddar cheese.
- Use a light Pilsner beer, such as Bud Light, Coors, or a beer from a local brewery. Just don’t use a dark or overly hoppy beer.
- Replace green onions with chives if they are more readily available.
FAQ’s
More soup recipes
Beer Cheese Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
For soup:
- 6 thick slices uncooked bacon, diced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, small dice
- 1 fresh jalapeno, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground mustard
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 (12 ounce) can light beer, Pilsner style
- 8 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 batch soft pretzel croutons, for topping, recipe below
- ⅓ cup minced fresh chives, for topping
For soft pretzel croutons:
- 4 soft pretzel buns
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Instructions
For soup:
- In a large soup pot over medium heat add bacon. Cook bacon until crisp and browned. Remove bacon pieces with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel-lined plate.
- Add the butter to the bacon grease and when it’s melted add the onion and jalapeno. Sauté for about 10 minutes or until the onions and jalapeño are soft. You’re not looking to brown the onions just soften them.
- Add the garlic and sauté for another minute or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Sprinkle in the flour and powdered mustard and cook for about 5 minutes or until the flour is thoroughly combined with the onions and slightly browned. You don’t want the mixture to be so dry it’s burning but it will be very thick.
- Slowly pour in the chicken stock making sure to stir it in so the flour and onions smoothly incorporate into the liquid. Don’t just dump the liquid into the pot.
- After the stock has been incorporated stir in the half and half and beer. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until there are no lumps of flour and the mixture is starting to thicken. It will not be super thick but should start to show signs of getting thicker.
- Remove the mixture from the stove and stir or whisk in the cheese. It will take a little time to incorporate the cheese so don’t worry if it looks a little clumpy at first. The cheese will melt and the mixture will become smooth and creamy.
- Stir in 3/4 of the crispy bacon and reserve the rest for topping.
- To serve soup, sprinkle the top with leftover bacon, minced chives, and soft pretzel croutons.
For soft pretzel croutons:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet pan with parchment pepper or a silicone liner.
- Cut soft pretzel rolls in half widthwise and then cut them into 1-inch squares.
- Toss the cut pretzel pieces with the melted butter until evenly coated.
- Spread the bread pieces onto the prepared baking sheet pan.
- Bake for about 15 minutes until browned. Toss once or twice during baking to ensure all sides are perfectly toasted.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Since spring has decided to go into hiding, this would be perfect to warm up with
I am totally craving a big bowl of this soup right now. Sounds so tasty!
I am loving this soup. Can’t wait to make it soon.
Oh boy, this looks superb. I need to make something creamy like this!
I am loving everything about this soup!! It looks and sounds incredibly delicious!! Can’t wait to try it!
What a great soup to try out! Love the cheese!
I love that cheese, and this looks so creamy and delicious!