Wisconsin Native's Beer Cheese Soup

Most Helpful Positive Review

I've been a Wisconsinite most of my life (am originally from Minnesota) and while I don't proclaim to be a Beer Cheese Soup expert I do know what I like and I do know what tastes good. And this is some good soup! Given some of the reviews I had extra flour on hand in case it was too thin, and Velveeta in case it wasn't creamy enough. This needed neither. I wasn't crazy about the cooking method which I believe wasn't as good as it could have been. I didn't like the idea of boiling the vegetables rather than sweating them, and two different mixtures, a "beer mixture" and a "cheese mixture" was totally unnecessary. I sweated the vegetables in the butter for about 10 minutes, added the flour, then cooked that another couple of minutes. Stirred the half and half in gradually, added the beer, chicken broth, mustards and Worcestershire sauce, brought it to a boil and simmered for about 10 minutes, stirring fairly constantly, until creamy and thickened. I removed it from the heat, then stirred in the cheese a little at a time until combined. I garnished each serving with crisp, crumbled bacon which only gave it an extra flavor punch (I swear bacon makes EVERYTHING taste better!). This is creamy, silky smooth, not too cheesy but cheesy enough, and very pleasantly flavored. Sometimes cheese soups (especially in restaurants) can be gloppy and pasty but this was refreshingly light by comparison. So while the cooking method needed work this still is a solid four star recipe.

—naples34102 

As is, this soup rates a 5. It's delicious, relatively simple, and includes my favorite veggies to have in creamy soup. I've made it a few times, just like the recipe and changed it once, adding diced red pepper, and cumin, along with half pepper jack, garnishing with tortilla strips, for a southwestern thing. Both versions are on semi-regular rotation now! Not only is this a great recipe, but it's a good jumping off point, too. Also, the flavor of the beer really shines through, and dark beers work better (not stouts, but a heavy lager is perfect!).

The flavor is excellent, but you will have definite texture issues if you follow the instructions as written. Cheese and cream curdle very easily! To prevent the gritty texture many complain about here (and cut down on wasted extra pot to clean), I suggest making the following changes: 1st saute the vegetables in butter until they are tender. Then add the flour and dry mustard, stirring constantly until well mixed. Then add broth, beer, hot sauce, and spices. Cook for about 10 minutes or until warm, and then REDUCE the temperature to medium low. This will prevent curdling when you add your dairy next. Gradually add half and half and simmer for 10-15 minutes to thicken, stirring periodically. DO NOT ALLOW TO BOIL as this causes curdling. )Watch carefully, as this can happen quickly.) Then remove the pot from heat and gradually add cheese by small handfuls, stirring constantly. Stir in Dijon and Worcestershire, and put the pot back on to simmer on LOW for about 10 minutes. The key thing here is to keep the temperature low! Also, adding cheese at the end will prevent it from reacting with the beer, which can also cause it to curdle, especially if it is too hot or cold when added. By the way, this recipe is great the next day, too. Just remember to reheat it gently!