Beer Cheese Soup

How to Make Beer Cheese Soup with Jalapeños:

1. Place a large stockpot or deep saucepan over medium heat. Cook the bacon until it’s crispy and cooked through.
2. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Reserve 2-3 tablespoons of bacon grease to saute the vegetables. After the bacon cools, crumble it into small pieces.
3. Reduce the heat to low-medium, and add the jalapeños and onions. Cook until softened, about 4 minutes, then add the garlic, paprika, and thyme. Cook for an additional 30 seconds.
4. Add the butter, and cool until melted. Sprinkle in the flour, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes while combining with the other ingredients.
5. Carefully pour in the beer, and stir it into the flour mixture. Increase the heat to medium and let the soup come to a simmer. As the soup thickens, pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth. Stir to combine.
6. When the soup begins to steam, stir in the cheeses adding only small bits at a time. After the cheese is completely incorporated, add half the bacon. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed.
7. Serve hot, and garnish with green onion and the remaining crumbled bacon.

Tips and Variations:

• The thickening agent in this recipe is the flour and butter mixture (roux). Your using the roux to thicken the chicken broth and heavy cream. The important thing to remember is to avoid letting the soup come to a boil. Otherwise, the cream may separate and that can ruin a soup.
• If you’re unsure about what kind of ale, beer, or lager to use; here’s a best practice. Don’t cook with an alcohol you wouldn’t drink. In other words, use a beer (lager or ale) that you enjoy drinking.
• On the other hand, if you don’t care for alcohol but want to try this soup, then use a non-alcoholic beer found at your local grocery store. Another option is simply use extra chicken stock for the beer step. With that being, the finished product will not be a beer cheese soup, it will be cheese soup.
• Adjust the spice level by leaving the seeds and membranes in the jalapeños or adding an extra one. If you’d prefer not to have any jalapeños, omit them completely.

Storing and Reheating

Refrigerator: Beer cheese soup stores well in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Leftovers should be discarded after 3 days.

Freezer: Pour the cooled soup into large freezer bags and freeze flat. The soup will stay good for about 2 months.

Reheating: Reheat chilled soup in a saucepan on the stove over low heat. Add a tablespoon of milk or heavy cream if desired. Thaw frozen soup in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.