If you are needing something a bit cozy, a bit decadent, and LOT of flavors then this Potato Beer Cheese Soup Recipe is just for you. We all love a good beer cheese appetizer, but why stop there?
I thinned out a traditional beer cheese dip with extra stock and added some chunks of potato and we have a soup, people! It's creamy and cheesy with a slight taste of your favorite beer.
So, What Is Beer Cheese?
Beer cheese is essentially made by creating a béchamel or a cheese sauce using butter, flour, and milk. We are using stock instead of milk and stirring in 3 types of cheese!
It is usually served as an appetizer with soft, warm pretzels and it truly is one of my favorite apps to order!
What Beer To Use?
Honestly pick on that you like. I chose Fat Tire because it's not too heavy and not too light. The flavor was just beer-y (a word?) enough to taste but not over power the whole soup. It's an amber ale and is great for drinking WITH the soup too!
Feel free to use a more robust flavor though if you are up for it! Wheat beer or pale ale will be the most mellow and in my opinion the best option!
What Type Of Cheese To Use In Beer Cheese?
It is very important to use blocks of cheese and shred them yourself because the pre-shredded cheese has some preservatives in it that will keep it from melting down into a perfect soup.
You will be disappointed if you get pre-shredded cheese! I used a combination of white cheddar, yellow cheddar, and Boursin Garlic and chive (the ultimate melting cheese!)
I also added a secret ingredient here to amp up the decadence level and it is....whole grain mustard! Tangy and savory, it's a great addition to the soup that adds tons of flavor.
Best Toppings
When it comes to this beer and cheese soup with potatoes, think of a loaded baked potato and that's how we want to top it!
- Soft pretzels
- Extra cheese
- Chives
- Bacon
- or even Garlic Bread!
The sky is the limit when topping this soup but I keep it simple with some torn-up soft pretzels put under the broiler for a bit to crisp them up!
What to Serve with Beer & Cheese Potato Soup?
PRETZELS were the only option here. I bought a bag of frozen pretzels from Trader Joes and they were a huge hit.
Pretzels are what you would traditionally dip in beer cheese so to me it just made sense. I also have a fun recipe for Chili Onion Crunch Pretzel Knots that would be amazing with these.
Or a slice of crusty garlic bread would be just perfect. I also topped these bowls with some fresh sliced green onion and more cheese for that ultimate cheese pull moment.
Potato Beer and Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 onion diced
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 8 oz block sharp cheddar
- 1 Boursin Garlic chive cheese round
- 4 oz block white cheddar cheese
- 1 12 oz bottle of your favorite beer (I used Fat Tire)
- 3 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 3 russet potatoes chopped
- green onion for topping
- extra cheese for toppings
- serve with large pretzels
Instructions
- In a large soup pot over medium high heat add the butter and let it melt.
- Sprinkle in the flour and stir continuously for about 3-5 minutes. We want to cook out the flour taste.
- It will start to turn a light golden brown, this is when you can add the onion and start to splash in the chicken stock.
- Slowly add chicken stock a few splashes at a time, stirring in between to let the sauce start to thicken.
- Once all the stock has been added, the mixture should be pretty thick and bubbly. Stir in shredded cheese and Boursin cheese and let it melt.
- Once the cheese melts in, add the beer 1/2 at a time. Same as with the stock, you want to let it thicken up a bit in between so keep stirring!
- Sprinkle in the salt, pepper, and whole grain mustard. Stir to combine.
- Add in diced potatoes the pot. The starch from the potatoes will continue to thicken the soup! So don't worry if it looks a little thin after adding the beer.
- Let this simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Using a hand held immersion blender blend the soup until about half of the potatoes are pureed. If you don't have a hand held blender, remove about 4 cups of soup and blend in a blender until smooth.
- Give it a taste and add salt if needed! If it still tastes bitter from the beer it may need more salt and continue cooking for 5 or so minutes.
- Serve with large soft pretzels and sliced green onion!
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