This Beer Cheese Soup recipe is easy to make and is super cozy! Caramelized onions gives the broth depth of flavor with plenty of cheese and beer options. This recipe uses subtle flavor enhancers that round out the flavor profile for a restaurant quality soup.

Be sure to pair this with my crusty, airy, No Knead Bread for dipping!

Beer Cheese Soup in a white bowl with bacon, cheese, and green onions on top.

Beer Cheese Soup

This incredible Beer Cheese Soup is like a bowl of cozy heaven. It starts with savory bacon, which adds a ton of flavor to the soup pot. The drippings are reserved and are used to caramelize the onions, which adds a slightly sweet offset to the beer. It has the best blend of seasonings and subtle flavor enhancers that takes this soup to restaurant status, and the combination of cheese options are endless.

As for the beer, stick to a variety of beer that you enjoy drinking on its own. (For me, that’s actually Bud Light. 😂) Pale Ale is a great choice as well.

More on the cheese and beer in my PRO tips below, don’t miss those!

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Cook bacon and set aside. Chop once cooled and reserve bacon drippings.

Bacon in a skillet and on a plate before and after being cooked.

Add bacon drippings and butter back to the pot along with the diced onions. Cook until browned and caramelized. Add the garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Stir to combine. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the beer in small splashes, stirring continuously.

Caramelized onions and a roux in a soup pot.

Add the chicken broth and half and half in the same manner. Add the bay leaf. Bring to a gentle bubble and simmer gently, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

Adding chicken broth and half and half to a pot for beer cheese soup.

Remove the bay leaf. Reduce heat to low and stir in the cheese. Garnish with bacon and green onions and serve!

Adding cheese, bacon, and green onions to beer cheese soup.

Pro Tips

  • Cheese: I use Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow Cheese for this recipe. It adds a nice color and tastes great. A combination of cheese adds a nice depth of flavor. A little bit of Cabot Hot Habanero Cheese adds a nice kick. Gouda cheese makes a nice addition as well.
  • Shred the cheese from a block. It will melt and taste much better than pre-shredded.
  • Make sure the base of the soup isn’t too hot when you add the cheese, otherwise the dairy will separate and create a grainy consistency.
  • Beer: Use a beer that you would want to drink, be careful about using very hoppy/bitter beer or something super strong in taste, as it will transfer that flavor in to the soup. (I’ll admit, I like using Bud Light.) Tuckerman Pale Ale is good too, but stronger in flavor.
  • The hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard powder are flavor enhancers in this soup that can’t be tasted outright. I use Frank’s Hot Sauce. 
  • Crock Pot: Due to the dairy content in this soup, I don’t recommend cooking this in the crock pot as it can curdle. The stove top method also allows us to simmer and reduce the soup which concentrates the flavor and thickens the broth. It also cooks off the alcohol. (That’s something that can’t be replicated in the crock pot.)
  • Be sure to pair this with my crusty, airy, No Knead Bread for dipping!
  • 📘 Find this recipe on page 21 of my 2nd cookbook, Let’s Eat!

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This soup does freeze and reheat pretty well even though it’s dairy based. (The flour helps with that.)

A white bowl with Beer Cheese Soup with bacon, cheese, and chives.

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Beer Cheese Soup in a white bowl with a spoon and bacon and green onions on top.

Beer Cheese Soup

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
4.98 from 36 ratings
Servings: 6 cups
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This Beer Cheese Soup recipe is easy to make and is super cozy, with plenty of cheese and beer options for a restaurant quality soup.

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Soup

  • 4-6 slices thick-cut bacon
  • 3 Tablespoons salted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce, I use Frank’s hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 5 tablespoons flour
  • 12 oz. beer, see notes
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups half and half, half milk/half cream
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 ½ cups shredded cheddar cheese, see notes
  • 2 Green onions, diced

Seasonings

  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder
  • ½ teaspoon each: dried thyme, smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon each: salt, pepper
  • 1 pinch cayenne, optional

Instructions

Prep Work

  • Cook the bacon slowly over low heat in a in a 3.5-quart soup pot. (I cut my bacon in half, it’s easier to fit it in the pan and have it cook evenly.) While the bacon cooks, measure out remaining ingredients. Once the bacon is cooked, set aside on a paper towel lined plate. Chop once cooled and reserve 2 tablespoons of bacon drippings.
  • Wipe any dark spots from the pot but leave as much bacon remnants as you can, as that will add flavor to the soup.

Make the Soup

  • Add reserved bacon drippings and butter to the pot over medium heat and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the pot. Add the diced onions and cook for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. They should begin to brown and caramelize, this adds a nice sweet offset to the beer.
  • Add the garlic, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings. Stir to combine. Add the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously.
  • Add the beer in small splashes, stirring continuously. (It will be thick.)
  • Add the chicken broth and half and half in the same manner. (If desired, you may use an immersion blender to blend the onions fully into the broth.)
  • Add the bay leaf. Bring to a gentle bubble. Let it simmer gently, reduce, and thicken for 15 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.
  • Reduce heat to low and let the soup cool for a minute. Remove the bay leaf. Gradually sprinkle in the shredded cheese, stirring continuously. (Doing so over low heat ensures that the dairy doesn’t separate, which maintains a smooth consistency.)
  • Garnish with bacon and green onions and serve!

Notes

Pro Tips
  • Cheese: I use Cracker Barrel Sharp Yellow Cheese for this recipe. It adds a nice color and tastes great. A combination of cheese adds a nice depth of flavor. A little bit of Cabot Hot Habanero Cheese adds a nice kick. Gouda cheese makes a nice addition as well.
  • Shred the cheese from a block. It will melt and taste much better than pre-shredded.
  • Beer: Use a beer that you would want to drink, be careful about using very hoppy beer or something super strong in taste, as it will transfer that flavor in to the soup. (I'll admit, I like using Bud Light.) Tuckerman Pale Ale is good too, but stronger in flavor.
  • The hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard powder are flavor enhancers in this soup that can't be tasted outright. I use Frank's Hot Sauce. 
  • Crock Pot: Due to the dairy content in this soup, I don't recommend cooking this in the crock pot as it can curdle. The stove top method also allows us to simmer and reduce the soup which concentrates the flavor and thickens the broth. It also cooks off the alcohol. (That's something that can't be replicated in the crock pot.)
  • Be sure to pair this with my crusty, airy, No Knead Bread for dipping!
  • 📘 Find this recipe on page 21 of my 2nd cookbook, Let’s Eat!
Storage
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This soup does freeze and reheat pretty well even though it's dairy based. (The flour helps with that.)
The Nutritional Information provided is an estimate and is per cup. This recipe makes approximately 6 cups.

Nutrition

Calories: 438kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 17g, Fat: 33g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 914mg, Potassium: 264mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1031IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 441mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Author: Stephanie