Recipes

Smoked Bacon, Beer And Cheese Soup

The Daily Meal Staff|

Smoked Bacon, Beer And Cheese Soup
4.5 (2 ratings)
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All the best things in life—bacon, cheese and beer—combine in this comforting soup that will wrap you up like a hug.This recipe is by Jeremy Bialker, executive chef at Two Rivers Brewing Company in Easton, Pennsylvania. This recipe was originally published in The Morning Call.
Prep Time
20
minutes
Cook Time
40
minutes
Servings
8
Smoked Bacon, Beer and Cheese Soup
Total time: 1 hour
Ingredients
  • 1 pound good quality smoked bacon (such as breakaway farms)
  • 5 ounce (by weight) bacon fat, if available (or 4 ounces butter)
  • 2 medium spanish onions, diced
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and diced
  • 2 green bell peppers, seeds removed and diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
  • 1 jalapeno, seeds removed and minced
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric
  • 2 teaspoon ground mustard
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 5 ounce flour
  • 3 quarts homemade or good quality chicken stock
  • 1-inch bunch fresh thyme, tied with butcher twine
  • 16 ounce heavy whipping cream
  • 4 cup mixed cheeses (good options include cheddar, american, and asiago but avoid stringy cheeses such as mozzarella)
  • 12 ounce lager or ale (stay away from a beer like an ipa that’s too hoppy)
  • fresh hot pretzels, tortilla chips or croutons, for garnish
Directions
  1. Step 1: Heat a large pot on medium-high heat. Add 1 pound smoked bacon to pot and render until browned. Add 5 ounces bacon fat (or 4 ounces butter) and 2 medium diced onions. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Step 2: Add 3 large diced carrots. In batches, add 2 diced green bell peppers, 1 diced red bell pepper and 1 minced jalapeno. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. Step 3: Add 1 tablespoon ground coriander, 1 teaspoon turmeric, 2 teaspoons ground mustard, 1 teaspoon white pepper and 1 tablespoon paprika. Stir well.
  4. Step 4: Cook until vegetables are tender, but still ‘al dente.’ Add 5 ounces flour and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Pour in 3 quarts chicken stock and a 1-inch bunch of fresh thyme (tied with butcher twine) and bring to a boil. The soup should thicken. Reduce to a high simmer. Cook 10 minutes.
  5. Step 5: Add 16 ounces heavy cream, then add 4 cups mixed cheeses in 1 cup increments, until incorporated. Stir frequently.
  6. Step 6: Pour in 12 ounces lager or ale and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the thyme bundle. Check if additional salt and pepper is needed.
  7. Step 7: Serve in bowls with fresh hot pretzels, tortilla chips, croutons, etc.
 
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