Warm up with a bowl of Pumpkin Beer Cheese Soup! Pumpkin puree and beer pair perfectly with extra sharp cheddar in this deliciously easy and cheesy one-pot soup! Serves 8 in about an hour.
It’s official November and we have snow on the ground here in Michigan. It’s a little depressing however I have the coziest soup to keep me warm.
Hello, soup of my dreams. I cannot and will not get over how delicious this soup is. But then again, I love any and all beer cheese soups. Remember this Irish version? I can confidently say, that if there’s hot bowl of any beer with any cheese in any soup and I will happily devour it.
This time, I decided to put a fall spin on it by adding in pumpkin. Pumpkin adds a touch of squash-y sweetness which pairs perfectly with the beer and the cheese. The crispy bacon pieces adds that expected smoky flavor and sends this already delicious soup, over the top.
To Make This Pumpkin Beer Cheese Soup You Will Need:
- bacon
- yellow onion
- red bell pepper
- celery
- kosher salt
- garlic
- thyme
- unbleached all-purpose flour
- lager or pilsner beer
- pumpkin puree (homemade or store-bought)
- low-sodium chicken broth
- heavy cream
- black pepper
- minced parsley, for serving
- pretzel bites, for serving (optional, but delicious)
Start by spraying the bottom a 4 quart pot with olive oil spray. Slice 6 strips of thick-cut bacon and add it into the pot, heat on medium and cook until crispy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Meanwhile, dice up 1 medium yellow onion, 1 medium red bell pepper and 2 short stalks of celery. Mince up 2 cloves of garlic and 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme.
Once the bacon is crispy, use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate, leaving the bacon fat in the pot.
To the bacon fat, add in the diced onion, peppers and celery with a small pinch of kosher salt. Give it a stir and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Next, add in two minced garlic cloves and 1 teaspoon chopped thyme, stirring to incorporate.
Cook for a minute.
Sprinkle in 1/3 cup of flour, stir until absorbed and then cook for 2 minutes.
While stirring, pour in 1 (12 ounce) bottle of beer, either lager or pilsner will work perfectly.
Lastly, add in 1 cup pumpkin puree, 1 quart (or 4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth and 1 cup heavy whipping cream.
Stir, cover and bring to a simmer. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium-low and uncover. Simmer until thickened, about 2o to 25 minutes.
Remove the soup off of the heat and stir in 12 ounces of extra sharp cheddar cheese that has been shredded on the largest holes of your box grater.
The soup should smell incredible!
Taste and season with salt and pepper to your preference, for me it was 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Ladle the soup into bowls and top with the crispy bacon, minced parsley and ground black pepper.
I love to serve this soup with pretzel bite. Because beer, cheese and pretzels makes absolute sense.
The creaminess of the soup is perfection. And the pumpkin adds a touch of sweetness while the beer rounds it out and the cheese gives the soup a signature sharp cheddar-y flavor.
I love this pumpkin beer cheese soup. It’s just what I crave on a chilly, rainy fall day.
Enjoy! And if you give this Pumpkin Beer Cheese Soup recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Pumpkin Beer Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 5 slices bacon, sliced thin
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, diced
- 2 short stalks celery, sliced
- kosher salt, to taste
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon thyme leaves, chopped
- 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
- 12 ounces beer, lager or pilsner
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or stock, ( or 1 quart)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 12 ounces cheddar cheese, extra sharp, grated
- black pepper, freshly ground
Instructions
- Spary the bottom of a 4-quart pot with olive oil spray.
- Add in the bacon and heat on medium, cooking until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel lined paper plate, leaving the fat in the pot.
- To the bacon fat, add the onion, pepper and celery with a small pinch of kosher salt. Stir and cook 8 to 10 minutes or unitl the vegetables are tender.
- Next, add in the galric and thyme, cooking for 1 minute.
- Sprinkle in the flour, stir and cook for 2 mintues before pouring (while stirring) in the beer.
- Add in the pumpkin, broth and heavy cream. Stir and cover, bring to a simmer.
- Once simmering, reduce to medium-low and uncover. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until thickened.
- Remove the soup off of the heat and add in the shredded cheese. Taste test the soup and season with salt and pepper to your liking. For me it was 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.
- Ladel the soup into bowls and top with the crispy bacon, minced parsley and extra black pepper.
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THANK YOU in advance for your support!
YUMMMM!
Thank you for such a delicious soup recipe Laurie! Perfect for a very frosty snowy northern climate! I used 6 strips of bacon as indicated in the step-by-step instructions and there was a perfect amount of grease to saute the vegetables in…so tasty. For my family I did not even need to add any extra salt – “thank you, bacon!” – only a few grinds of pepper! I could not find any of the suggested pretzel bites in the stores at home, so I opted for original flavour Pretzel Crisps instead and they were a great match! We are so fortunate to have your creative mind to tap into!
Please take good care and stay warm!
Thank YOU so much, Alex! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe. Also, thank you for taking the time to not only make this recipe but leave a review too!
Can This be made in an instant pot?
Hi Jessica! I haven’t tested so I cannot say for sure.
This was SO tasty! Was a treat it was for soup! Super easy to make too. My husband loved it.
I’m so happy to hear it, Kelli! Thanks for the feedback, it’s appreciated!
Thanks I can’t wait to try this recipe. Quick question. I’ve never even made beer cheese soup. Would I make that the same way and just leave out the puréed pumpkin?
Pretty much!