Irish Beer Cheese Soup

Irish Beer Cheese Soup

David Venable

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 8

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 1 small onion, smaller diced (about 1-1/2 cups)
  • 1 medium leek, white to pale green parts, sliced 1/4", and cleaned well
  • 6 small red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8’s
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 (12-oz.) bottle of Irish lager or red ale
  • 1 qt chicken stock
  • 1 qt whole milk
  • 2 cups shredded Irish cheddar, plus extra for garnish

Preparation

In a large sauce pot, melt butter over medium heat.

Add onions and leeks and sweat until tender, being careful not to get any color, about 5 minutes.

Turn heat to medium-high, add potatoes, salt, spices, beer and chicken stock. Bring soup to a simmer and cook until potatoes are just cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Add milk, bring back up to a simmer then remove from heat.

While the soup is still hot, begin pureeing soup in batches in a blender.

Fill the pitcher only halfway with soup, add half the shredded cheese, and begin blending on low, working your way up to high; blend each batch until very smooth. Season to taste.

Ladle hot soup into a bowl and garnish with pretzels, crisp bacon and more cheese.

Garnish

  • Broken pretzel pieces
  • Chopped crispy bacon
  • Shredded Irish cheddar

Cook's Notes

If you cannot find Irish cheddar, substitute with your favorite mild cheddar and butter.

Print Recipe