Wisconsin Native's Beer Cheese Soup
Wisconsin Native's Beer Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 4 slices thick cut bacon, chopped (Optional)
- 1 ½ cups diced carrots
- 1 ½ cups diced yellow onion
- 1 ½ cups diced celery
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle pilsner-style beer
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups whole milk or half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- teaspoon dry mustard
- teaspoon hot pepper sauce
- 12 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 3 cups)
- popped plain or salted popcorn, for garnish
Instructions
- 1
Gather all ingredients.
- 2
Heat bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving drippings.
- 3
Add carrots, onion, and celery to drippings and increase heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in garlic, salt, pepper, and cayenne; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- 4
Add butter and cook, stirring constantly, until melted. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
- 5
Stir in beer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 2 minutes.
- 6
Stir in broth and half-and-half; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium to maintain a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, just until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon, 12 to 15 minutes.
- 7
Stir in Dijon, Worcestershire, dry mustard, and hot sauce until fully incorporated. Remove from heat.
- 8
Add cheese, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly until melted before adding more.
- 9
Serve hot, topped with popcorn and reserved bacon.
Nutrition
Per serving (based on 8 servings)
