Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup

This is our easy broccoli beer cheese soup with vegetables on the stove that is creamy with tender carrots and celery inside too. Serve as a meal or dip this week. Served with our 3 ingredient beer bread recipe makes an easy one pot meal.

Broccoli beer cheese soup in Instant Pot or on the stovetop is so yummy. I have directions for a pot or dutch oven below. Made with mild or sharp cheddar it has a ton of flavor, similar to the one at Oktoberfest we both love.

You can really load up the vegetables in this one. As you can see here, diced carrots and celery were added in. They not only add flavors but more texture as well. Now fresh produce is always best but you could use frozen. The biggest difference is the texture as that won’t hold up as well and will become quite soft.

A nice option though if that is all you can find and will give you the same flavor profile at the end of the day. As far as that goes you could use all frozen vegetables with bagged diced carrots and onions to make things easier.

Ingredient Notes

You are going to want to start with some salted Butter (my favorite brand is Kerrygold because of how creamy it is) or you could use margarine for a dairy free alternative.

As for other vegetables I like to add chopped stalks of celery cut into small pieces, Carrots peeled and cut into small pieces and a yellow or white onion diced in addition to the Broccoli, fresh florets.

As for the necessary liquid to make this meal the best choice is to use Chicken broth or vegetable broth, less if you want it thicker.

And you will also add 12 oz of light beer is what I use for this and our beer can chicken in oven recipe in general

Some all purpose Flour is a great thickener, or arrowroot flour / cornstarch for gluten free choice.

Shredded cheese, sharp cheddar is our favorite you will melt into the soup itself and serve with some on top too in addition to the softened cream cheese which will make it thick and creamy.

Can you use frozen broccoli?

You could in fact use frozen broccoli and/or frozen carrots as well. It wouldn’t change the cook time really except that bagged can be on the smaller side so in that case you would want to watch it so they don’t get so soft they disintegrate.

Can you add potatoes?

If you want to make broccoli potato cheese soup we have that cook time here too. Much faster with the same end result really. Just throw it all in with the cream cheese added at the end to make sure it stays smooth and creamy.

How do you make beer cheese soup vegetarian?

This can be made vegetarian except that the broth would need to be veggie instead of chicken or beef. Vegan and/or dairy free would do the same and you would have to omit the cream cheese and swap out the butter for a plant based alternative. There are several brands out there that are great.

Broccoli Cheese Soup without Beer (Option)

If you wanted to omit the beer entirely you could. I would refer to our easy and quick broccoli cheese soup recipe for that version. I will say that the brew does add a lot of great flavors, and it doesn’t taste like alcohol. You could also put in half as much to lessen the flavors or use a light style.

Chicken Beer Cheese Soup (Option)

If you wanted to make this as a leftover chicken recipe you could. Just dice up your precooked meat and add it in with everything else. If it’s really small it will likely get so tender it will just fall apart. Bite size is good but it would need to be cooked previously, or sautéed at the beginning until pink is gone.

I have a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here is a quick step by step. It is great served with a slice of our beer bread or just as is.

How Long to Cook Beer Cheese Soup

In a Dutch oven or large pot over medium low heat, throw in the butter until melted. Add the celery, carrots, and add the onion. Cook for approximately 7 to 9 minutes stirring occasionally until they begin to soften. Add the chicken now if you want meat in there and continue to cook cheddar soup for 25 to 30 minutes until veggies are tender.

How do you make it thicker?

The amounts listed below have always made this plenty thick because of the addition of the all purpose flour. That makes a roux that solves the issue. However. If you really think it needs more oomph you could whisk 1/2 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water in a dish. When it is bubbling whisk this in and it will thicken further.

What to serve with beer cheddar cheese soup

If I serve this as an actual meal I will make a batch of crisco biscuits in the oven to kinda’ scoop it up. Or you can break them up and throw them on top so it soaks up the soup! This meal can be actually served as a fun appetizer served with soft pretzels like Auntie Annes.

Love all things with this favorite green veggie? We have a lot of other goodies you can make with it like broccoli casserole, how to cook it in the oven, air fryer, all the things. Just search for more in our search bar. 😉

How to Save Leftovers

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time at all you know how I hate to waste food. Growing up paycheck to paycheck I guess you get used to eating leftovers of all kinds the next day. Now that I have kids it is just in my DNA to enjoy it again for lunch the next day, you can freeze it too for later.

The best way to freeze leftover soup is that you’ll want to let it cool completely before transferring it into small containers with lids. Then store in the fridge for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to reheat it, transfer into a microwave safe bowl and heat for 2 minutes stirring constantly every 30 seconds until warmed.

To make it more like a bowl of comfort food once again with 3 ingredient bread, melt more cheese on the top. You could add chicken leftovers into it as well at this time. Once you reheat it do not store again though. You should only save leftovers once as cooling and heating has the chance of growing bacteria.