Combine the rich flavors of Irish lager and Dubliner cheese for a fantastic bit of cozy comfort that’s absolutely perfect for a cold late-winter day.
I almost didn’t call this “Irish Beer Cheese Soup.” Because this time of year, every other recipe you see pop up is Irish or St. Paddy’s Day something or other.
I also can’t claim it as a traditional recipe. Almost 90% of my gene pool comes from north of the Arctic circle, and while I’m pretty sure they went through Ireland a time or two {the Vikings were pretty indiscriminate raiders}, none of those spots show up in my ancestry. I was actually pretty bummed to learn that, because I was hoping to be just a little bit Irish. Who wouldn’t want to be connected to such a beautiful land with such warm and poetic souls?
Instead, beer cheese soup is more of a German tradition. It goes back to the Middle Ages, when it was actually served as a breakfast soup and poured over bread. I would want to forget that part, except that’s what prompted my husband to ask me to create this recipe – he saw them having it at an inn in Witcher and thought it sounded pretty awesome.
It turned out to taste just as awesome. Beer + cheese + soup equals all the good things in one delicious bowl. And it’s really only Irish because I chose to use Irish lager in the mix.
And with pretzels to dip in it, we skew a little more toward the German side of the influence, but I tell you, there isn’t a more perfect comfort food combination. Try it for yourself!
[lt_recipe name=”Irish Beer Cheese Soup” summary=”Combine the rich flavors of Irish lager and Dubliner cheese for a fantastic bit of cozy comfort that’s absolutely perfect for a cold late-winter day.” servings=”4-6″ total_time=”30M” print=”yes” image=”https://homefrontcooking.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Soft-Baked-Pretzels-and-Beer-Cheese-Soup-0283-1024×683.jpg” ingredients=”4 tbsp butter;1/2 yellow onion, peeled and chopped;3-4 stalks celery, chopped;3 cloves garlic, minced;1 bottle Harp Irish Lager;1 1/2 cups chicken broth;12 oz Irish cheese {Dubliner, Irish Cheddar, etc.}, shredded;8 oz cream cheese; 1 cup whole milk;2 tbsp flour;1 tbsp cornstarch;1 tsp smoked paprika;1 tbsp dijon mustard;salt and pepper to taste;crumbled bacon and chives for garnish” ]Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the butter, onions, celery, and garlic. Saute for 3-5 minutes or until the onions are becoming translucent.;Scoop the veggies into your blender, add one cup of the chicken broth, and puree until smooth.;Return the mixture to the Dutch Oven and add the remaining broth and the beer. Bring to a boil, and then drop the heat to low.;Toss the shredded Irish cheese with cornstarch. Add the shredded cheese, cream cheese, milk, flour, paprika, and mustard to the broth, and whisk to melt the cheese. Keep whisking until the soup is completely smooth and nicely thickened, about 10 minutes. Do not let the cheese boil – it will burn! Lower the heat if needed, or remove the soup from the heat periodically while you’re whisking.;Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve garnished with crumbled bacon and chives for garnish, with bread or pretzels for dipping.[/lt_recipe]
You can make this soup in a sauce pot, but I’ve gotten my best results when using my big heavy Staub Dutch oven. The cheese melts way more smoothly!
Oh, and see today’s companion recipe for how to make these delicious homemade soft pretzels to dip in your beer cheese soup!
Happy Friday!
