Simple Stovetop Beer Cheese Soup

Today’s windchill in Chicago never got above zero.  When my husband left this morning, it was two below zero for the actual temperature.  What am I cooking when it’s this cold?  You know it is something hearty and comforting.  Something rich that warms me up from the inside out.  Something… like beer cheese soup.

It’s always one of my favorite winter soups, even though I don’t like beer.  Like I tell Mister Man, sometimes things you don’t like by themselves make great ingredients, so just try it.  Mixing it with veggies and cheese and creating a soup somehow magically makes it delicious.  Enough of the alcohol cooks out that in my mind it’s safe to feed kids (although mine aren’t fans), and it’s the perfect dinner for a cold night like this.  Especially if you serve it with some homemade bread.

When you make beer cheese soup, you want to use a decent beer.  This isn’t the time to use the swill your brother in law brought over for your last party (use that for beer broiled brats instead).  You don’t want a pale ale with not much flavor either.  I know some who make it with Guiness and love it, but I like a nice lager that has a bit of depth without being too overpowering.

The same goes for the cheese.  In this batch, I used some “goata” (gouda made from goat milk) and white cheddar and just a touch of extra sharp cheddar because it’s what I had in the fridge.  I recommend using a variety of two to three cheeses to get layers of flavor.  That doesn’t mean grabbing mozzarella – not enough flavor – or your Velveeta.  You want something yummy and with some bite to it to flavor your soup.  That said, choose your favorites and go with them.

Beer Cheese Soup

Ingredients:
3 T butter
2 carrots, shredded
1 stalk celery, shredded
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c onion, shredded
3 T flour
1 t dry mustard powder
3 c chicken stock
1 1/2 t Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t nutmeg, freshly grated
1 12 oz bottle good beer
2 c shredded sharp cheddar
1 c shredded Gouda or Gruyere
3/4 c cream
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Using your shredding blade on your food processor, shred your carrots (after peeling them), celery and onion.  You can do them all in the same bowl since they’re just heading for the same pot.  If you don’t have a food processor that shreds, you can either use a hand shredded or simply dice them finely.  Mince your garlic, as well.

Heat a soup pot on medium on your stove.  Once it’s heated (which will help make it naturally nonstick), add the butter and let it melts.  Once melted, add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic.  Saute five or so minutes until translucent, stirring periodically.  Add the flour and mustard powder and stir, cooking for another three or so minutes to get out the raw taste.

Slowly add the chicken stock while stirring to avoid creating any lumps.  Add the Worcestershire sauce and nutmeg and bring to a boil.  Once it boils, turn down to a simmer and simmer for ten or so minutes.  Use an immersion blender, puree your soup thoroughly.  If you don’t have an immersion blender, add soup to your regular blender in batches, never filling more than one-third full and using a pot holder, hold the lid on so pressure doesn’t build up and have the lid fly off.

Once pureed, add the beer and again bring to a boil then simmer for another ten minutes.

While the soup is simmering for the last time, shred your cheeses – again, you can use the same food processor bowl and blade as before so you don’t have to do as many dishes.

Once the soup has simmered for the last ten minutes, remove it from the heat and add the cheese in batches.  You don’t want to add more than a small handful at a time or it will just clump up into a big mess of cheese and never melt and distribute well.  Instead, add a small amount and stir until it’s melted and incorporated into your soup, then add your next small handful.  Repeat until all your cheese is added.

Lastly, add the cream and stir until distributed.  Serve immediately.

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