This turned out grainy for us too. I followed the recipe exactly (for once) and we were not impressed.

The flavor was nice (would have been better if we had a stronger beer). Mine curdled and had a very grainy texture; I don't know if that was the recipe or just me. Will try again, with stronger beer to get more flavor, and hope for the thick, smooth, velvety texture of the restaurant soups I'm looking for.

I gave this recipe three stars..even though when all was said and done it turned out great! I didn't care too much for the recipe "as is" so after I had a few bites, I boiled potatoes, carrots, and 1 chicken bullion cube until tender. I also threw some polish sausage in a pan to heat, and then cut length-wise and sliced small pieces. With all of the extra add-ins, the soup was wonderful!

The idea of this soup is great. I found I had to make some changes. I added more garlic and more onion. I used 2 tsp of worcestershire sauce. I added an extra tbsp of cornstarch to thicken and I used 3 cups of cheese. It was a little grainy but it was still delicious. Next time I will serve in bread bowls.

We LOVE this soup!! We like to add a little dry mustard & extra worsestershire....served with warm bread for dunking.....yumm

This is a very good recipe. Use additional cornstarch if it isn't thick enough.

I have made this twice. Once exactly as written -- it was okay. Next time I reduced the beer by 1/2 and it was great.

I used a dark beer...instead of butter or margerine, I used bacon cut in small pieces. After the beer had time to "burn off" the alcohol, I put the base in a food processor to make the onion and bacon in to very small pieces. I didn't use any water but added the corn starch to the chicken broth(3 1/2 cups). Used 4 cups of sharp cheddar, 2 two cup pakages of Kraft preshredded....very good...both of my picky teens ate it up!

So. There I was, with my freshly cooked Mexican-seasoned chicken, all set to make Chicken Taco Soup for my family, when I realized, I had no beans. Well, we'd have had Chicken Tacos, but I'm also out of tortillas. By this time, I'm seriously craving something spicy with chicken and cheese, so, I found this recipe. I did use half the beer, substituted green onions, left out the water, added the cornstarch in with the stock, and will agree that the trick to "non-grainy-ness" is to add the cheese (I used 3 cups, pre-shredded) s-l-o-w-l-y... about 1/4 cup at a time, stirring well, over low heat. o. so I added my chicken, a can of tomatoes with chilis, and a TBSP of taco seasoning, and will probably use a thicker version of this recipe as a dip. thanks!

We thought this soup had no flavor at all. It was not cheesy, the only flavor it had was from the bacon bits on top. It tasted more like Cream of Beer soup than anything else. I would not make this again without some significant adjustments, just not sure what.

Was a very good starting place for me. I did read numerous reviews ahead of time and took heed the reducing the beer by 1/2, using 3 cups cheese instead of 2, and I also omitted the water and mixed my cornstarch with some of the chicken stock. I used a good base I have instead of canned. The key to not having a "grainy" turn out is to remember to turn down the heat to med-low and add the cheese slowly and stir (I prefer whisking) continuously. If you don't care for beer i recommend using a nice reisling or chardonay. NEVER be afraid to try new variations. Variety is the Spice of Life!

AMAZING.

This soup is great! I don't find it too thin. In fact, it makes a hearty, delicious meal. I followed the recipe but made a few modifications: 4 tblspoons of cornstarch. 4 tblspoons of water. 2 tblspoons of worcestershire. Substitute soy milk for 1/2 & 1/2. After adding cheese and milk, wait for soup to boil (don't increase temp). Then add cornstarch + water mix. Add plenty of fresh thyme and black pepper for increased flavor and color. You definitely need to add some kind of fresh herb just to make the soup more visually appealing. I used thyme. I bet rosemary or parsely would work well too. Soy milk made a healthier substitute for 1/2 & 1/2 and is not as thin as skim milk. Also, I used 12 oz. of pre-shredded sharp cheddar. It melted well and was just enough cheese. Doubling that amount, like some suggest, would be too much.

Fantastic soup. After reading some other comments, I added the cornstarch to the chicken stock and omitted the water. I also doubled the cheese, and it all worked perfectly. I'll be making this soup again and again.

Pretty good soup! I used flour instead of the cornstarch and mixed it up with the cheese before adding. I used shredded cheese and mine was not grainy. It was a little thin, so I think next time I might add another cup of cheese, but other than that it was great!!