Old World Sourdough
Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup
Beer and Cheese. Frozen Tundra and Hot Soup. Football and Tailgating. Noticing a trend here? There is nothing better on a cold evening or a tailgating party than a bowl of Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup. Wisconsin being my home state I had to do a lot of testing before I could publish a recipe that uses it's two main food groups - Beer and Cheese. This recipe will not disappoint! Keep it authentic and top it off with some popcorn or make a Wisconsin Beer Cheese Sourdough Bread to soak up all of that cheesy goodness at the bottom of the bowl!!
Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup
Prep Time:
30 minutes
Cook Time:
45 minutes
Serves:
8
Ingredients
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups diced carrots
1 ½ cups diced onion
1 ½ cups diced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 cups chicken broth
2 cups beer
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon butter - separated
⅓ cup flour
4 cups half and half (or whole milk)
6 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Preparation
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large saucpan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, celery, and garlic. Stirring frequently until onion is translucent.
In same saucepan stir in hot pepper sauce, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Pour in chicken broth and beer; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
In a large soup pot melt 1/3 cup butter over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to medium and stir flour into melted butter with a wire whisk to make a rue; cook and stir until flour is light brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
Gradually stir in half and half, whisking to prevent scorching, until thickened.
Remove from heat and gradually stir in cheese. Cover to keep warm and let the cheese melt.
Stir beer mixture into cheese mixture.
Stir in Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and dry mustard.
Turn heat back on low-medium. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Serve topped with popcorn or garnish of your choice.
Notes:
Tips:
Cheese: Use a good sharp cheddar for this soup. Anything else and you will be left disappointed.
Do not use pre-shredded cheese. Grateit yourself for optimal melting and mixing. Cheese will grate better when chilled then left to warm to room temperature.
Beer: Select a malty ale or amber for this recipe. Preferably a malty with a high alcohol content for the best flavor.
Garnish: As they say, when in Rome. Well when in Wisconsin you garnish your beer cheese soup with popcorn! If you prefer a good sourdough crouton that will work as well. Or better yet, soak up all that cheesy goodness with a chunk of Wisconsin Beer Cheese Sourdough Bread.
565 Calories
40g Fat
21g Carbs
27g Protein