Beer Cheese Soup Recipe (Made in 15 Minutes!) - The Cookie Rookie® (2024)

FAQs

How do you take the bitterness out of beer cheese soup? ›

1) You tasted the soup shortly after adding the beer before the bitterness of the alcohol had a chance to cook off. If this is the case, let the soup cook for 5 more minutes then taste again.

The early beer soups were typically based on dark beer, cream and egg yolk thickened with fat and flour cooked together in a roux. Eventually they were flavored with onions, salt, pepper, spices and cheese to create a more substantial and satisfying dish.

At a temperature of 150 or so, the protein bonds in the cheese break down and as a result, too much fo the moisture escapes too quickly. Keep the heat very low, and make sure the cheese is one of the last things added to the soup.

In general, when making beer cheese, choose a brew with a light body and subtle flavor profile. Beers in the pilsner, blonde ale, and lager families would all be good options. For pilsners, stick to American styles as they are less hoppy, milder, and far less bitter than their European counterparts.

Sweetness can help balance bitterness, so consider adding ingredients like carrots, onions, or a small amount of sugar or honey. Acidic ingredients like tomatoes or a splash of vinegar can also help balance flavors.

Why Is My Beer Cheese Soup Grainy? You boiled the soup and the cheese curdled into little clumps. When making any cheese soup recipe, make sure to keep the heat low once you add in the cheese.

Roughly speaking: Beer cheese sauce, bourbon caramel and other sauces brought to a boil and then removed from the heat typically retain about 85 percent of the alcohol. Diane, cherries jubilee and other recipes that flame the alcohol may still have 75 percent of the alcohol.

Easy Substitutions

Use beef broth, chicken broth, mushroom stock, apple juice, apple cider, root beer, or co*ke instead of dark beer. With all of these ingredients, you want to be sure to replace the beer measure for measure to keep the liquid volume the same in your recipe.

Beer adds a rich, earthy flavor to soups and stews that makes them taste like they've been simmering for hours. Beers with a sweet or nutty taste can add depth to desserts. And don't worry about getting drunk – virtually all of the alcohol evaporates during the cooking process.

Grate the cheese yourself.

Pre-shredded cheese is often coated in anti-caking agents that can prevent the cheese from melting into a lusciously creamy soup. To ensure that your broccoli cheddar soup has the best smooth and creamy texture, buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself.

What is the best cheese for soup? ›

Fresh cheddar is milder and melts well, while medium has a slightly fuller flavor perfect for soups or broths. Ponderosa Farmstead Colby: This melt-in-your-mouth colby is soft, mild, and a great accompaniment to beer.

Mild cheddar, Colby, Monterey jack, mozzarella, Swiss and queso blanco can all work well. “The best cheeses to melt into soups are cheeses that are higher in moisture and have a lower melting point,” says Bauer. In addition to cheddar and Monterey jack, he recommends Fontina and Gruyère.

Add the cornstarch slurry to the boiling beer, whisking constantly to fully incorporate it. Bring the beer back up to a boil, at which point the cornstarch slurry will slightly thicken the beer. Turn the heat down to low. Cut 2 ounces of cream cheese into chunks, and then whisk them into the beer until fully melted.

While there are conflicting stories about beer cheese's origins, it appears to have first been served in the 1940s at a restaurant in Clark County, Kentucky known as Johnny Allman's.

Cut down the amount of time that the hops boil for. If the recipe calls for boiling your bittering hops for 30 minutes, cut it down to 15 - 20 minutes. The less time the hops are boiled for, the less the oils from that hops will be infused in the beer, therefore the less bitter it will be.

The Fix: Balance bitter flavors by introducing something salty, sweet, or sour. For naturally bitter foods such as kale, you can soften the flavor by add a lemony vinaigrette, Parmesan cheese, and pomegranate seeds. You can also elevate kale by tossing it olive oil and salt, then roasting it in the oven until crispy.

As beer cooks and reduces, its flavor concentrates, becoming stronger and more intense over time. This is especially true of more bitter, hoppy beers, like IPA. When cooked down too much, it can render your dish unpalatably bitter.

BITTER CHEESE

This is normally caused by two things: Either the cheese was not drained enough, or the cheese was not salted enough. Add a little extra salt, stir, and try to get some more whey out.