Beer Cheddar Soup
A thick, hearty beer cheddar soup loaded with sausage and mashed potatoes — pure comfort food, no apologies for the richness.
- Prep Time
- 15 min
- Cook Time
- 25 min
- Total Time
- 40 min
- Servings
- 8 servings
Some of my favorite recipes get born from a lazy evening on the couch with a glass of wine, pen and paper in hand, watching Food Network. I'll admit I'm not a fan of the high-drama cooking competition shows — my anxiety spikes just imagining myself in that kitchen — but the easygoing, real-people energy of a show like Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is exactly my speed.
This soup was born from one of those nights, and with access to a huge rotation of craft beer on tap at Krafty Draft Brew Pub, it was only a matter of time before one ended up in a soup pot. Fair warning: this is not a light soup. It's thick, hearty, and built for scraping the bowl clean.
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
- 16 oz. dark beer
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups half and half
- 1 1/2 lbs. grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 bag steam 'n mash potatoes
- 1 lb. smoked sausage (I use Cajun-style andouille), cut into bite size pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- 1Melt the butter in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until soft.
- 2Add the garlic, then stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.
- 3Add the beer and stir — it will thicken quickly. Stir in the chicken broth.
- 4Puree the soup using an immersion blender, or transfer to a blender and puree.
- 5Cook the potatoes according to package directions, mash in a separate bowl, and set aside.
- 6Add the half and half, paprika, and salt to the pot, and continue cooking.
- 7Add the grated cheese and stir until completely melted.
- 8Stir in the mashed potatoes and diced sausage, and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Beer matters here: I've had the best luck with a dark bourbon barrel-style beer — a lighter beer like Guinness came out surprisingly flat in this recipe.
Storage & Reheating
Stores well in the refrigerator up to 7 days or the freezer up to 3 months, or make it ahead and hold it in a slow cooker on warm until serving.
