Beer Cheese and Potato Soup

If you’re a Jacksonville native, you have probably had European Street’s infamous beer cheese soup. As the name suggests, it’s a queso-like soup that is spiked with beer. In the case of European Street, they use a hoppy German-style beer. I hosted a Christmas party over the weekend and the thought of serving chili greatly saddened me. I wanted something that I could serve to my guests and allow them to customize with their toppings of choice, just like a bowl of chili. Thus, we set off on a quest to perfect Beer Cheese Soup at home.

This version of soup is made hearty and delicious with the use of potatoes and two kinds of alcohol - beer and dry sherry. On previous attempts, I have learned that parcooking the potatoes will prevent them from cooking in the soup. Cooking raw potatoes in a roux-based soup is not ideal because the soup only needs about ten minutes to come together whereas potatoes need to cook at least 15 minutes until they become soft. Thus, I found it much easier to make the soup base first and then add the cooked potatoes afterwards. The cooked potatoes will impart some much needed starch which will make your soup even creamier.

In my video, I suggest serving with sliced scallions and cheese toasties. At my Christmas party, I had a lot more variety of toppings, including:

• Extra shredded cheddar cheese

• Crushed salt and vinegar chips (trust me)

• Parmesan crisps

• Pickled jalapeños

• Hot sauce

Ingredients for the Beer Cheese and Potato Soup

• 3 Idaho potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 1 cup bacon lardons, about 6 strips of thick-cut bacon

• 2 cups chopped celery, about 8-10 stalks

• 4 cups chopped onion, 1 large onion

• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced

• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1, 14.9 oz can of Guinness (or tall boy of beer of choice)

• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 2 cups heavy cream

• 5 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

• 2 teaspoons white pepper

• 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon

• 1 tablespoon hot sauce

• 1 tablespoon onion powder

• 2 teaspoons mustard powder

• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 2 tablespoons white miso

• 1/4 cup dry sherry

Serves approximately 10-12 people

Directions for the Beer Cheese and Potato Soup

1. Place cubed potatoes in a microwave-safe dish. Cover and heat on high for ten minutes. Potato cubes should be fork tender but not smushy.

2. Add your bacon lardons with a splash of water to a large soup pot. Bring the soup pot up to medium high heat. Rendering your bacon in a cold pan will prevent them from burning. Once nice and crispy but not burnt, remove from the pan.

3. Do not remove the bacon grease! Add in your onions, celery, and garlic. Sauté on medium high heat for five minutes or until soft. Then, add in the all-purpose flour and cook for a minute or two to form a roux. Deglaze the pot with your beer of choice. The alcohol will take another minute or two to burn off. Finally, add your chicken broth and cream.

4. Cook the mixture until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about ten minutes. Next, add in your shredded cheese, cooked potatoes, miso, spices, and dry sherry. Cook for another ten minutes before tasting and adjusting your seasoning.

5. Serve with your toppings of choice and enjoy!