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Wisconsin beer cheese soup

Velvety sharp cheddar and lager soup with soft pretzels

Beer cheese soup is a Wisconsin tavern and Packers game-day classic, made with the state's sharp cheddar and a local lager and served with soft pretzels or popcorn on top. It is thick, silky and tangy, with a little mustard and smoked paprika. It contains beer; most of the alcohol cooks off but not all, so for an alcohol-free version use alcohol-free lager or extra stock with 1 tsp cider vinegar. Aged cheddar is often made with animal rennet, so use a vegetarian cheddar. Chef's tip: add the cheese off the heat, a handful at a time, or it turns grainy.
Total time
45 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
6
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Ingredients

Serves6

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What you'll need

Fresh ingredients (6)

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Method

0/5 done
  1. Step 1: Melt the 1 ¾ oz butter in a heavy pot over a medium heat and cook the 1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 celery stick for 8 minutes until soft. Add the 2 cloves garlic for 1 minute.

    9 min
  2. Step 2: Stir in the 1 ⅝ oz plain flour and cook 2 minutes, then whisk in the 1 ½ cups lager (or alcohol-free lager) slowly and let it bubble for 2 minutes. Whisk in the 2 cups vegetable stock and simmer 12 minutes.

    16 min
  3. Step 3: Blend until smooth, then whisk in the 1 cup whole milk, 1 tsp English or Dijon mustard and ½ tsp smoked paprika and bring back to a bare simmer.

    4 min
  4. Step 4: Take off the heat and stir in the 10 ½ oz sharp cheddar (vegetarian rennet) a handful at a time, waiting for each to melt. A common mistake is boiling after the cheese goes in, which makes it split and stringy.

    4 min
  5. Step 5: Season with ½ tsp salt and serve with 4 soft pretzels or popcorn for dipping.

    1 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
450 kcal
Protein
18 g
Carbs
18 g
Fat
32 g
Fibre
2 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does wisconsin beer cheese soup take?
About 45 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
What can I use instead of butter?
The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
What can I use instead of onion?
2 shallots per onion.

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