When the weather cools down, I crave all the comfort foods, and soup tops the list. I want something hearty and flavorful, and cozy enough to to chase away the chill. This Vegetable Beer Cheese Soup checks all those boxes. It’s creamy and satisfying, and packed with secret veggies for a punch of extra nutrition. Paired with soft, homemade pretzels for dipping, it’s the kind of meal that makes any chilly evening a little brighter and more delicious.

Vegetable Beer Cheese Soup

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup salted butter
• 1 pound potatoes
• 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled and roasted
• 1/2 purple onion
• 3-4 carrots
• 3-4 celery stalks
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2-3 tsp oregano
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp rosemary
• pepper and salt to taste
• 1/4 cup flour
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 12 oz. beer (any kind will do)
• 1.5 cups sharp cheddar cheese
• .5 cup swiss or provolone
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or whole milk
• 1 tsp cooking sherry
• 1/2 tsp worcestshire sauce

Instructions

1. Saute the veggies: In a Dutch oven or large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes with salt and pepper. Cook for about 8-12 minutes, until veggies start to soften. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute or two until fragrant. Add the butternut squash.
2. Season it up: Sprinkle in oregano, thyme, rosemary and a little more salt and pepper.
3. Thicken the base: Add flour, and stir gently for about two minutes, until all the veggies are coated evenly. It will look a little pasty, but don’t worry. That’s exactly what you want!
4. Add the liquids: Slowly pour in the beer, scraping up the bits on the bottom of the pot. Then add the broth and stir well. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the potatoes and carrots are tender.
5. Blend it up: Pour your mixture into a blender or large container. Mix until smooth in the traditional blender or with an immersion blender. Return to pot over low heat.
6. Make it cheesey: Stir in your cheeses a little at a time, stirring until melted. Then add the cream, sherry and worcestshire. Adjust your seasoning to taste. Simmer until thickened.
7. Serve and enjoy!

Tips & Variations

• Play around with types of beer to change the depth of flavor of the soup
• Experiment with root vegetables in the base. Try roasted sweet potatoes and and parsnips.
• Roast broccoli florets in olive oil, pepper, and salt, and serve on top as a garnish.
• We love cheddar, but you can absolutely play around with cheese varieties. Add a little swiss, gouda, or provolone to vary the flavor profile.
• This soup freezes and reheats beautifully, and is great as leftovers or a dip with bread, carrots, and apples.

Recipe inspired by and adapted from Midwest Foodie Blog’s Vegetarian Beer Cheese Soup Recipe

Soft Pretzels

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups warm water
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 8 tbsp melted butter, divided
• 10 cups water
• 2/3 cup baking soda
• coarse salt

Instructions

1. Activate the yeast: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until it becomes foamy.
2. Make the dough: Add flour, salt, sand 4 tbsp melted butter to the yeast mixture. Mix with a dough hook on low spead until combined, then knead on medium for 5-6 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Kneading by hand may take a little longer.
3. Let it rise: Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for about an hour, until doubled in size.
4. Prep the baking soda bath: Preheat your oven to 450F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large pot, bring water and baking soda to a boil.
5. Shape the pretzels: Punch down dough and divide into 8-10 pieces. Roll each into a 12″ rope, and the roll each piece again to a length of 24″. Shape into classic pretzel.
6. Boil: Carefully lower each pretzel (top side down) into the baking soda bath for about 20-30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and flip on to baking sheet. Sprinkle immediately with salt.
7. Bake and brush: Bake about 12-14 minutes, until golden brown. Brush immediately with melted butter and sprinkle with salt before serving.

Tips & Variations

• Instead of pretzels shapes, you can make pretzel sticks or balls.
• Sprinkle buttered pretzels with cinammon and sugar, rosemary and salt, or everything but the bagel seasoning for a different flavor profile.
• Freeze, and serve at a later date by heating in the microwave, oven, or air fryer.

Do you serve warm pretzels with soup? What veggies would you add to the beer cheese soup?