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Beer and Bacon Cheddar Soup

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  • Prep 25 min
  • Total 60 min
  • Ingredients 20
  • Servings 6
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Cooking with beer was a common practice in our house. My mom would add it to her tasty frijoles a la charra recipe. Beer is great for marinating and for braising meats as well. In this recipe, the flavors of beer are subtle, combined with the smoky bacon and sharp cheddar. It’s comfort in a bowl!
by Sonia Mendez Garcia
Updated Sep 23, 2015
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup corn
  • 1/2 lb bacon, sliced small
  • 1/2 cup sweet onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 jalapeño, minced, removing seeds, optional
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt, more to taste
  • 1/3 teaspoon pepper, more to taste
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup beer, light in color, I find that the lager or dark beers can be bitter
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon horseradish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon tabasco hot sauce, more to taste
  • 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 cups of half and half, slightly warmed
  • 4 cups extra sharp white cheddar
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella, I like the extra creaminess that the mozzarella adds

Directions

  •  
    1
    Preheat olive oil in nonstick pan at medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the corn and cook for 10 minutes or until corn starts to caramelize slightly. Remove from heat, cover and reserve for garnishing soup.
  •  
    2
    Heat a large pot to medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy and fat is rendered out. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels.
  •  
    3
    In that same pot, add the onions, garlic, jalapeño, celery and bell pepper. Season with 1/3 teaspoon of salt and 1/3 teaspoon of pepper. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes.
  •  
    4
    Add in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Add in the 1 cup of beer and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
  •  
    5
    Add the half and half to a small saucepan and heat on low to warm up for a few minutes.
  •  
    6
    Add in the Dijon mustard, horseradish sauce, tabasco, chicken broth, half and half and smoked paprika; stir well to combine. Continue cooking at a low simmer for 20 minutes or until soup starts to thicken slightly. Taste for salt and pepper.
  •  
    7
    Chop the cooked bacon and add half of it back into the soup. Add all the cheese and stir just until cheese has melted. Remove from heat, cover and let sit for 10 minutes.
  •  
    8
    Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with extra bacon, caramelized corn and extra tabasco hot sauce.

Expert Tips

  • tip 1
    If you want to save leftover soup in the freezer, freeze in 2 cup freezer containers. This will make for a quicker defrost time and you can defrost in small amounts.

Nutrition Information

No nutrition information available for this recipe

More About This Recipe

  • Cooking with beer was a common practice in our house. My mom would add it to her tasty frijoles a la charra recipe. Beer is great for marinating and for braising meats as well. In this recipe, the flavors of beer are subtle, combined with the smoky bacon and sharp cheddar. It’s comfort in a bowl!
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