Beer Cheese Potato Soup

Beer Cheese Potato Soup is a creamy potato soup recipe made better with beer, cheese, chunks of ham, bacon and potatoes.  Hearty and the perfect bowl of comfort food, this creamy Beer Cheese Potato Soup is ready to eat in just 30 minutes!

You’re eyes are glazing over and there is a bit of drool running down your face… Yes, you read right … Beer Cheese Potato Soup.  

Trust me, there is nothing like a big ol’ bowl of comfort food to warm you up from head to toe.

My go-to bowl of happiness? 

As much as I love Pasta Fagioli, Chicken Noodle Soup and Tortilla Soup, THIS easy beer cheese soup recipe is my hands down favorite!

what is Beer Cheese Potato Soup?

Beer Cheese Potato Soup is a creamy potato soup that is hearty and oh-so-satifying.

Infused with a ale beer and sharp cheddar cheese, this easy beer cheese potato soup recipe takes it one step further!!!

Along with beer and cheese, this beer cheese soup recipe also has chunks of ham, crisp bacon, green onions and hearty chunks of potato.

The best part??? This can all be made in one pot and is ready to eat in just 30 minutes.

(swoon!)

why this beer cheese soup is the best!

• Beer. Cheese. Ham. Bacon. More cheese. Potatoes. … enough said
• This easy beer cheese potato soup recipe is ready in just 30 minutes.
• The cheese potato soup can be made in just one pot making doing tons of dishes obsolete.
• Perfect comfort food, this hearty beer cheese soup is an easy way to feed a group of people.

To make this Beer Cheese Potato Soup, you will need: 

• Russet Potatoes
• Butter
• Onion
• Carrots
• Celery
• All purpose flour
• Chicken Stock
• Milk
• Bottle of Ale or lager
• Worcestershire sauce
• Dijon mustard
• Sharp cheddar cheese
• Heavy cream
• Cubed ham pieces
• Green onions
• Cooked bacon
• Seasonings

how do you make beer cheese soup?

To make this easy beer cheese potato soup, start by washing and drying your russet potatoes and microwave them for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, turn the potatoes over and then microwave them for another 3 minutes.

While your potatoes are cooking, add the butter, sweet onion, carrots and celery to a large soup pot and heat over medium-high heat.

Stir occasionally until the vegetables begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Whisk the all purpose flour into the vegetables and continue to whisk for 1-2 minutes.

Pour in the milk, chicken stock and beer and bring your soup to a low boil while whisking constantly.

Once boiling, reduce your heat back down to medium and stir in your Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, spices and your cheddar cheese.

When all of your cheese is melted, add in your crumbled bacon, chunks of ham, heavy cream and green onions.

When everything is finally all combined, cut your cooked potatoes into bite sized chunks.

Stir in your potatoes and let your soup simmer for 10 minutes so everything incorporates with each other.

Garnish with reserved toppings and serve immediately with good crusty bread!

Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

pro tips for perfect soup

• Whisking the soup is important so nothing sticks on the bottom… this isn’t a soup to ignore like you do your ex-boyfriend / girlfriend.
• You can certainly cook your potatoes in the oven if you prefer.  Simply wash and dry your potatoes and then cook them in a 425 degree oven for 50-55 minutes.  Once cooked, cut and add them to your soup.
• You can get creative with your cheese choices for this beer cheese soup.  I use sharp cheddar but if you have swiss, gruyere, havarti or just feel like cleaning out your refrigerator cheese drawer, this Potato Beer Cheese Soup is very accepting of just about all cheese donations.
• Cut your potatoes into bite-sized pieces around 3/4″ and leaving the skin on or off is personal preference. 
• Make things easy and grab pre-cooked bacon crumbles from the salad dressing aisle of you grocery store or use 6 slices of cooked bacon in this recipe.
• Most grocery stores offer packages of pre-cut, pre-cooked ham chunks where you normally find packaged ham steaks. 
• I use both sweet onion and green onion in this recipe but feel free to omit the green onion, if you prefer. I add green onion to everything! Haha!!

best beer for beer cheese soup

There are tons of discussions about what is the best beer for beer cheese soup.  Here are a few suggestions:

• Let me say that Sam Adams Boston Lager is my usual go to. It’s easy to find, has a robust taste and it’s what I normally use in this beer cheese soup recipe.
• Also for your consideration, try a Wisconsin or German beer or a light red or brown ale with an emphasis on malt and not so much on the hops.
• American lager like Point, Leinenkugel’s, Capital Amber or Miller High Life or even Moosehead Canadian Ale.
• Because of the amount of hops and/or subtlety, try to avoid IPAs (India Pale Ales) and APAs (American Pale Ales along with Lite beers.

do you need beer in cheese soup?

There are plenty of reasons to add the beer in this Beer Cheese Potato Soup but it’s not a deal breaker if you don’t. 

I have made this easy potato soup without the beer before and it is delicious.  Simply add in an extra cup of chicken stock to replace the left out lager.

best potato for potato soup

There are many varieties of potatoes that are perfect for making soup but for potato soup, I use good ol’ fashioned russet potatoes. 

You can also use red potatoes or Yukon gold for this soup, as well.

easy soup and stew recipes

• 30 Minute Pasta e Fagioli
• Easy Slow Cooker Mexican Chorizo Chili
• Easy Tortilla Soup
• Ground Beef Chili with Beans
• Easy Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup 

Enjoy ♥ Heather

Update Notes: This post was originally published in January of 2019 but was republished with an updated recipe, new photos, step by step instructions and tips in October of 2020.