Jalapeño beer cheese soup is right up there as one of the best guy’s comfort foods of all time. So many boxes are checked with this recipe: Salty, cheesy, spicy, and meaty. And that only begins to cover the flavor profile of this man cave ready feel-good food. But we have a feeling more than a few ladies will love this hearty soup, too.
Fresh jalapeño peppers provide some of the heat in our jalapeño beer cheese soup, but there’s an extra punch from cayenne pepper powder. In terms of the beer to use, you can opt for nearly any beer type, though we think it blends best with a lager. A Stella Artois or Heineken works perfectly. Ales provide an even heartier flavor, but the ale flavor tends to take over the recipe if too much is used. If you go that route, consider starting with a little less.
See it being made:
Like this recipe? You’ll love these too:
- Lion’s Head Meatballs With Crispy Chili Relish: These gigantic meatballs are a total surprise on the plate. And the relish is top-notch.
- Fried Jalapeño Slices: A classic spicy appetizer that’s gone in minutes in our house.
- Jalapeño Fried Chicken: Double the heat here, spiciness from the breading and the chicken’s brine.
Jalapeño Beer Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound bacon
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups Mexican shredded cheese blend chedder, colby, and jack mix
- 3 jalapeño peppers diced
- 3 celery stalks diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 yellow onion minced
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 can of beer 1 1/2 cups, lager is best
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Croutons optional
Instructions
- In a pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until it’s crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and place on a paper towel lined plate to remove the grease on the bacon. KEEP the grease in the pan.
- Still over medium heat, cook the yellow onion, jalapeño peppers, celery, and minced garlic in the bacon grease until the onions become translucent (5 to 7 minutes). Stir often.
- Add the butter to the pan and continue to stir often until the butter is completely melted.
- Transfer the mixture from the pan to a soup pot, then add the flour and stir until it’s evenly spread among the vegetables, approximately 1 minute.
- Add in the chicken broth. Stir the mix to combine, then lower the heat to medium-low and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes while stirring often.
- Add the beer to the pot, and continue simmering for an additional 10 minutes.
- Add in the heavy cream, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine.
- Crumble the bacon, then add the bacon and Mexican cheese blend to the pot. Continue stirring until the cheese is completely melted into the soup.
- Add the cayenne pepper powder, as well as salt and pepper (to taste). Stir to combine.
- Remove from heat and serve with croutons or bread (optional).