A big bowl of this hearty & creamy beer cheese soup will cure whatever ails you.
German Oktoberfest Beer Cheese Soup
A big bowl of this hearty & creamy beer cheese soup will cure whatever ails you.
Ingredients
- 2 large white onions, one of them small diced, the other cut into 1/8” slices
- 3 cups vegetable oil, for frying one of the onions
- 2 tsp kosher salt
- 6oz thick-cut bacon, small dice
- 1 carrot, roughly minced and cut into small pieces
- 1 stalk of celery, roughly minced and cut into small pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, mined
- 3 Tbsp salted butter
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 12oz lager beer
- 1 Tbsp ground mustard powder
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- Salt & freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup sour cream, for serving
- 2 Tbsp fresh chives, finely sliced, for garnish
- A loaf of warm crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- Fry sliced onions in batches in 350F vegetable oil until lightly golden in color.
- Drain crispy onions on paper towels and season with salt.
- Cook bacon in a medium saute pan on medium-low heat until the bacon is cooked and has released some of its fat.
- Remove the cooked bacon from the fat and drain bacon on paper towels, leaving the remaining fat in the saute pan.
- Cook the onions, carrot, and celery on medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic after fifteen minutes and continue to cook for an additional 15 minutes, adding a splash of water to the vegetables if they are getting too dry or starting to take on color.
- While the vegetables are cooking, heat the 3 Tbsp butter in a medium-sized pot and combine with the flour.
- Mix with a rubber spatula until the flour is fully incorporated with the butter.
- Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid browning the butter and flour mixture.
- Slowly whisk in 1 cup of warmed whole milk 1 cup of warmed heavy cream into the butter and flour mixture.
- Avoid adding too much of the liquid at once.
- When the mixture is fully incorporated and there are no lumps, add the chicken stock, lager beer, mustard powder, and Worcestershire sauce and stir again to combine.
- Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and cooked bacon from earlier into the liquid soup base and continue to cook for an additional fifteen minutes.
- Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and mix until cheese is melted and incorporated into the soup.
- Serve in warmed bowls, topped with a dollop of sour cream, a handful of crispy onions, and a pinch of chives.
- Serve soup hot, with crusty slices of warm, buttered bread.
Notes
The soup can be made in advance and reheated.