Go Back
smooth orange cheddar soup with a few rough golden bread croutons floating on top in an ordinary bowl, with no beer bottle, bacon or garnish
Melissa Hart

Crockpot Beer Cheese Soup

A mild lager works better than a bitter IPA in this beer-cheese soup because the long cook concentrates the beer's character along with the onion and celery. The cheese still belongs at the finish. Grate it yourself. A smooth soup comes from gentle heat and gradual additions, while the cornstarch-thickened base gives the cheddar something to blend into instead of dropping it straight into a boiling pot and hoping for the best.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours 45 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 5 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 can 12 oz mild lager beer
  • 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
  • 2 celery ribs finely diced
  • 1 medium carrot finely grated
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 1/2 cups whole milk
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 3 tbsp cold water
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 1/4 tsp black pepper
  • 8 oz sharp cheddar freshly grated
  • 4 cups 3/4-inch cubes of crusty bread
  • 1 tbsp olive oil

Method
 

  1. Pour beer into a saucepan and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, then transfer to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add onion, celery, carrot, broth, salt and pepper.
  2. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours until vegetables are very soft. Blend the base briefly with an immersion blender until mostly smooth.
  3. Turn the cooker to high and stir in milk. Mix cornstarch with cold water and stir the slurry into the soup, then cover and heat for 25 to 30 minutes until the liquid bubbles lightly and thickens.
  4. During that final stage, heat the oven to 375°F. Toss bread cubes with olive oil on a rimmed sheet pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once, until crisp.
  5. Switch off the cooker and wait for bubbling to stop. Stir in cheddar in 4 additions, then Dijon and Worcestershire, until smooth.
  6. Divide among 6 bowls and add one-sixth of the croutons to each just before serving.