The Scoop
Consider this the soup equivalent of a game-winning touchdown.
It starts with crispy bacon, adds a splash of beer for extra personality, then goes all-in with three different cheeses because moderation clearly didn’t make the roster. Creamy, savory, a little spicy, and ridiculously satisfying, this is the kind of soup that turns “just watching the game” into a full event.
Warning: people will ask for the recipe before halftime.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1/3-inch pieces
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/4 cup flour
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 1/2 cups pilsner beer
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 4 ounces medium cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded
- salt, to taste
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
- chives, optional, to taste
- flat leaf parsley, optional, to taste
Directions
- In a large saucepan or soup pot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crispy, about 7 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate.
- Drain all but about 1-2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan.
- Add the onion, the bell pepper, the jalapeño, and the thyme to the bacon grease and cook until the veggies are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the veggie mixture, stirring until completely melted.
- Sprinkle the flour over the veggie mixture, stirring until the flour is fully incorporated.
- Add the beer to the veggie mixture, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens.
- Slowly add the chicken stock and the cream to the thickened mixture and stir until all the ingredients are combined.
- Bring the soup to a low simmer.
- Add the sharp cheddar, the medium cheddar, and the pepper jack, handfuls at a time, to the soup, stirring after each addition.
- Continue to allow the soup to simmer until the cheese is melted.
- Season the soup with the salt and the pepper and add 1/2 of the cooked bacon.
- Spoon the soup into bowls and garnish with the remaining bacon, the chives, and the parsley.
- Serve.
×
