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Irish Cheddar Beer Soup in a Pretzel Bowl

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In this Irish Cheddar Beer Soup, vegetables are sautéed in bacon fat and cooked in beer, broth and half & half and then combined with creamy Irish cheddar cheese. Homemade pretzel bread bowl, optional. Topped with chopped bacon, chives and more cheese. Serves 8 in around an hour.
Course Soups, Stews & Chilis
Cuisine Irish-American
Keyword ale, bacon, beer, Irish cheddar, soup, St. Patrick's Day
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 450
Author Laurie McNamara

Ingredients

  • 4 strips bacon cooked until crispy
  • 2 shallots about 1 cup, diced
  • 1 to 2 carrots about 2/3 cup, halved and sliced
  • 2 to 3 celery heart stalks about 2/3 cup, sliced
  • 1 small jalapeno seeded and diced (leave in ribs and some seeds for more heat)
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/3 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 12 ounces beer preferably ale
  • 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 cups half & half
  • 2 cups Irish white cheddar cheese such as Kerrygold, divided
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • chives

Instructions

  • In your Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium to medium-low heat until crispy. Transfer the cooked back to a paper towel lined plate to drain, then chop.
  • To the bacon fat, add the shallots,carrots, celery and jalapeno. Season with a pinch of salt and cook, covered, until fork tender. About 10 to 12 minutes. Next add in the garlic and cook 1 to 2 minutes before stirring in the flour. Cook the flour mixture, stirring often for 2 minutes. Continue stirring while slowly pouring in the beer.
  • Then pour in the chicken broth and half & half. Stir to combine, add in the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. With the cover askew, bring to a low boil then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the soup for 30 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.
  • **Strain the soup through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pot or bowl with a spout, and transfer the soup back into the warm dutch oven.
  • Stir in 1-1/2 cups of Irish white cheddar and season to with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper, or to taste. Reheat on low heat, do not reboil or it you could risk it separating.
  • Ladle soup into bowls or bread bowls and top with extra cheese, chopped bacon and chives.

Notes

**optional

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 450kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 100mg | Sodium: 348mg | Potassium: 451mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2712IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 462mg | Iron: 1mg