Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup

With hints of cayenne, thyme, and nutmeg, this creamy and flavorful broccoli beer cheese soup recipe is the ultimate easy comfort food dinner.

Spoonful of broccoli beer cheese soup.

When your toes need warming up this winter, you should reach for this recipe for broccoli beer cheese soup. It’s so creamy and decadent that it’ll make the perfect dinner when you crave some cozy comfort food. Serve it in a bread bowl using our Dutch Oven Bread recipe or with a pretzel to make a full delicious meal the whole family will love.

Now, when I say this broccoli cheese soup is flavorful, I mean it. There are a lot of ingredients at play here and when they combine, it’s a tastebud explosion! So, what ingredients am I talking about? Well, you’ve got the three main players: broccoli, beer, and sharp cheddar cheese. Then you have milk, broth, sweet onion, carrot, nutmeg, bay leaves, thyme, and cayenne pepper. 

While the ingredient list might be long, I promise it’s easy to whip up this soup. You just slowly add all the ingredients into one large pot, let it simmer and let all those flavors mingle, then puree the soup in a blender. 

Labeled ingredients for broccoli beer cheese soup.

Recipe Ingredients

  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Butter
  • Sweet onion, diced
  • Carrot, diced
  • All-purpose flour or almond flour
  • Whole milk
  • Low sodium veggie or chicken broth
  • Your favorite beer
  • Shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • Bay leaves
  • Freshly grated nutmeg
  • Cayenne
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • Broccoli florets (chopped or in a food processor)
  • Fresh thyme leaves

Heat olive oil and butter in large pot.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat.

Add diced carrot and sweet onion.

Add the onion and carrot and cook for about 10 minutes.

Add flour.

Add in the flour and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Gradually add in milk and whisk well.

Then gradually add in the milk and whisk until smooth.

Add the broth.

Then it’s time to add the broth.

Add your favorite beer.

The beer.

Add finely chopped broccoli florets.

The finely chopped broccoli florets.

Then add bay leaves and spices to saucepot.

Then add the bay leaves, nutmeg, cayenne, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper if desired.

Bring soup to a simmer.

Bring to a simmer. Turn down to medium heat and cook uncovered until the broccoli is tender. Usually about 20 minutes.

Puree soup in blender.

Remove the soup from the stove. Remove the bay leaves and puree the broccoli cheese soup in a blender.

Place pureed soup back in pot.

Once pureed, put the soup back on the stovetop over low heat.

Add cheese to soup.

Stir in the cheese until melted and creamy.

Add thyme and mix well.

Add the thyme and cook another 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings just the way you like them.

Bowl of broccoli beer cheese soup.

Serve into bowls and top with a little extra cheddar and fresh thyme. YUM!

Broccoli beer cheese soup in bread bowl.

If you want to go that extra mile, serve your broccoli beer cheese soup in a hollowed-out bread bowl.

Bowl of broccoli beer cheese soup.

Or serve your cheese soup with softly baked pretzels for dipping. Enjoy!

Storage

  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop.
  • Freeze soup leftovers without toppings for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating on the stovetop.

Recipe Notes

  • I’ve included a couple of serving suggestions above, but you could also serve a bowl of soup with breadsticks, crusty slices of bread, or crackers. 
  • Don’t be afraid to mix up the cheese in this soup. As long as there are 4 cups, you can do 2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese and 2 cups of white cheddar cheese, for example.
  • For added spice, add 1 large seeded and chopped jalapeno when you cook the carrot and onion.
  • When you add the cheese at the end of the recipe, you can also add some crumbled bits of crispy bacon as well.
  • Instead of cheese, top your soup with more crumbled bacon, chopped green onion, sour cream and croutons, or soft pretzel bites. Popcorn is also the traditional topping for beer cheddar soup!
  • If you want more vegetables in your soup, add 5 sticks of diced celery when you add the carrot and onion.

Here are more delicious broccoli and cheese dishes:

Homestyle Broccoli Cheese Cornbread

Broccoli Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breast

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Rice Casserole

Broccoli with Cheese Sauce

Chicken Broccoli Skillet with Pimento Cheese Sauce

Bowl of broccoli beer cheese soup.

Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup

This creamy and flavorful broccoli beer cheese soup recipe is the ultimate easy comfort food dinner.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: broccoli, cheese, soup

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tbsp butter
  • 1 small sweet onion, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or almond flour
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  • 12 ounces your favorite beer
  • 3-4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese plus more for serving
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne or more to taste
  • 1 pinch kosher salt and pepper
  • 4 cups broccoli florets chopped or in food processor
  • 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves plus more for serving

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook for about 10 minutes. Add in the flour and cook again for about 2-3 minutes, then gradually add in the milk and whisk until smooth. Add the broth, beer, broccoli, bay leaves, nutmeg, cayenne, and a large pinch each of salt and pepper if desired.
    2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, 3 tbsp butter, 1 small sweet onion, diced, 1 carrot, diced, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour or almond flour, 2 cups whole milk, 2 cups low sodium vegetable or chicken broth, 12 ounces your favorite beer, 2 bay leaves, 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 4 cups broccoli florets, 1 pinch kosher salt and pepper
  • Bring to a simmer. Turn down to medium heat and cook uncovered until the broccoli is tender. Usually about 20 minutes.
  • Remove the soup from the stove. Remove the bay leaves and puree in a blender.
    3-4 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese, 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • Once pureed, put the soup back on the stovetop over low heat. Stir in the cheese until melted and creamy. Add the thyme and cook another 2-3 minutes.
  • Taste and adjust seasonings just the way you like them. Serve into bowls and top with a little extra cheddar and fresh thyme. YUM!
Tried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!

Similar Posts

84 Comments

  1. My husband became a vegetarian because of gout and because of the same reason be can not have beer! Is there a substitute for the beer? The recipe sounds amazing!

  2. After reading the comments regarding using broth instead of beer, I will give the recipe a try. My other issue is I don’t have blender. What else could I use in its place? Thank you

  3. Broccoli and cheese are a match made in heaven! I think this soup is also good if made with chicken broth (or vegetable broth) instead of beer, because I don’t like beer and neither do my young nieces.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Recipe or Post Rating