Soups & stews / Chowders & creamy soups
Beer Cheese Soup with Bacon and Pretzel Croutons
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Sharp cheddar, a little lager, and bacon fat doing quiet work underneath. It's smooth and tangy and made for a cold night, with pretzel croutons on top for something to crunch.
The short version
Cook bacon, soften onion, celery and carrot in the fat, stir in flour and mustard, then whisk in lager and broth. Simmer, blend smooth, add half-and-half, and stir in shredded cheddar off the heat. Top with bacon and pretzel croutons. About 50 minutes.
What makes ours better
the tricks Nonna pretends she never taught me
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Use a light lager and cook it down. A mild lager or pilsner adds tang without bitterness. Simmering it for a few minutes cooks off the raw edge so you taste malt, not beer.
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Cook everything in the bacon fat. It builds a smoky base that makes the soup taste like it's been simmering all day, and you get bacon to garnish.
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Blend the base before adding cheese. Blending the vegetables smooth gives the soup body without extra flour or cream, and it makes the finished soup velvety.
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Stir in block cheddar off the heat. Boiling cheese breaks into oily clumps. Adding hand-shredded cheddar to hot, not boiling, soup keeps it smooth.
What you need
the cast, in order of appearance
- Thick-cut bacon6 slices
- Unsalted butter1 tablespoon
- Carrot1 medium
- Celery1 rib
- Dry mustard1 teaspoon
- Half-and-half1½ cups
- Sharp cheddar12 ounces
- Soft pretzel buns or rolls2 whole
Soup
Pretzel croutons
read it twice. buy it once.
Steps
nobody opens the oven door. looking at you, Dad.
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Make the pretzel croutons
Heat the oven to 375°F. Toss the pretzel cubes with the melted butter on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, shaking the pan once, until crisp and deep golden.
About 11 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Cook the bacon
Put the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until crisp. Lift it out with a slotted spoon onto a paper towel. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the fat.
About 9 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Soften the vegetables
Add the butter, onion, carrot, celery and salt to the bacon fat. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring, until soft but not browned. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute.
About 8 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Cook the flour
Sprinkle the flour and mustard over the vegetables and stir for 2 minutes, until the flour smells toasty and looks like paste.
Cook the flour fully. Raw flour gives the soup a pasty taste.
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Add beer and broth
Whisk in the beer slowly, then the broth, scraping the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, until slightly thickened and the beer smell has mellowed.
About 15 min. Cook mode has a timer for this step.
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Blend smooth
Remove the pot from the heat. Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until completely smooth, or work in batches in a regular blender with the lid vented and covered with a towel. Return to the pot over low heat and stir in the half-and-half until steaming, not boiling.
Hot soup expands in a blender. Fill it only halfway, and hold the lid down with a towel.
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Melt in the cheese
Take the pot off the heat. Add the cheddar a handful at a time, stirring until smooth before adding more. Stir in the Worcestershire and cayenne, and add salt to taste. Reserve a handful of bacon, and stir in the rest.
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Serve
Ladle into bowls and top with pretzel croutons, the reserved bacon and chives.
Good to know
things I learned the hard way, so you can skip that part
- A light lager, pilsner or blonde ale is best. Dark or very hoppy beers turn bitter when cooked down.
- Use sharp cheddar for flavor. Mild cheddar tastes flat in this soup, and aged cheddars can turn grainy, so avoid cheeses aged beyond about 2 years.
- Replace half the cheddar with pepper jack for gentle heat, or use the broth in place of the beer for a non-alcoholic soup (the flavor changes noticeably).
- Storage. Refrigerate up to 3 days and reheat slowly over low heat, stirring, with a splash of milk; boiling will make it separate. It does not freeze well. Keep croutons in a separate container at room temperature.
Questions, answered
the questions my cousins text me
Why did my beer cheese soup turn grainy or oily?
The soup was too hot when the cheese went in, or the cheese was pre-shredded. Take the pot off the heat, use cheese shredded from a block, and add it gradually.
What kind of beer is best for beer cheese soup?
A mild lager, pilsner or blonde ale. Avoid IPAs and dark stouts, which turn bitter when cooked.
Can I make beer cheese soup without alcohol?
Yes. Use chicken broth in place of the beer, and add a teaspoon of cider vinegar for the tang.
Can I make it thicker?
Simmer 5 minutes longer before blending, or blend in a small piece of cooked potato. More cheese also thickens it, but add it slowly.
Can I make it ahead?
Make the soup through the blending step and refrigerate. Reheat gently, then add the cheese just before serving.
From the table
Made it? I want the full report: first bite, best compliment, and who tried to take the leftovers home.
Made it?
be honest. I can take it. probably.
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Published October 29, 2026.