Adding Beer to Broccoli Cheese Soup is the Ultimate Wisconsin-Style Twist! 🍻🧀

As a proud Midwesterner, there’s nothing I love more than a warm bowl of soup on a cold day. This Beer Cheese Broccoli Cheddar Soup combines two iconic Wisconsin favorites—beer cheese and broccoli cheddar—into one ultra-cozy, flavor-packed bowl.

What’s the secret to taking it over the top? Beer! A dark, malty beer adds a rich, earthy depth that takes classic broccoli cheese soup to the next level. You won’t necessarily taste the beer itself, but trust me—you’ll know it’s there. The flavor it brings is pure magic, which is why I love using beer in so many of my favorite recipes, like Beer Brats and Beer-Braised Carnitas.

A close up macro shot of broccoli cheese soup in a white soup bowl with handles sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A light gray linen napkin, torn crusty bread, and a few loose sprigs of fresh herbs surround the bowl at center. The soup has been garnished with extra shredded cheese and black pepper and a piece of torn bread rests inside the bowl for dipping. this Recipe for Later!
This Broccoli Beer Cheese Soup is one of my go-to recipes for a chilly winter day—warm, comforting, and surprisingly easy to make!

This recipe has been a staple in my kitchen since I first whipped it up in 2018. Over time, I’ve fine-tuned it to perfection, adding creamy potatoes, a splash of Worcestershire for boldness, and a hint of freshly grated nutmeg for that cozy, unexpected warmth that always hits just right.

And the best part? This soup is a true one-pot wonder! Everything comes together in a single pot, so you can enjoy all the comfort without worrying about a pile of dishes later.

Featured Review
4.1 from 16 reviews

This was exactly what I hoped it would be! Super flavorful and creamy, and using the immersion blender gave it a great texture. Will definitely be making again!

Jenn
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Broccoli beer cheese soup ingredients arranged on a creamy white textured surface: unsalted butter, yellow onion, fresh broccoli, garlic, all-purpose flour, a dark & malty beer, vegetable stock, carrots, russet potato, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, smoked paprika, heavy cream, sharp cheddar cheese, and nutmeg.
This soup is made with just a handful of staple ingredients: onion, carrots, broccoli, a potato, cheddar cheese, spices, heavy cream, vegetable broth, and Worcestershire sauce.

How to Make Broccoli Cheese Soup with Beer

This one-pot dinner comes together quickly and simmers on the stovetop in under 1 hour. It’s one of my favorite easy soup recipes to make on a chilly winter day!

To set yourself up for success, start by prepping all your ingredients: dice the broccoli, onion, carrot, and potatoes, grate the cheddar cheese (always go for a block—trust me, it’s worth it), and measure out the liquids. This mise en place strategy makes cooking a total breeze!

1

Soften the broccoli. This recipe makes the most of both broccoli florets and stems—no waste, all flavor! 🥦 Start by softening the onion in melted butter, then toss in the broccoli. Once it turns vibrant green, stir in the garlic for a quick sauté.

Softened broccoli and onions for broccoli cheese soup fill a large white Staub Dutch oven cocotte. The pot sits atop a creamy white textured surface and a wooden spoon rests inside of the pot for stirring.
Once softened, transfer the veggies to a plate and set them aside.
2

Build a roux. Melt more butter in the same pot and turn up the heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly until it’s golden brown. This roux acts as the base for thickening the soup, giving it that dreamy, creamy texture we’re going for.

3

Add the beer. Slowly pour the beer into the pot, whisking to dissolve any lumps. Let it simmer to reduce slightly.

I recommend choosing a dark, malty beer for beer cheese broccoli soup. Think a brown ale, dark lager, or porter – these will have a more earthy and complex flavor than, say, an amber, IPA, or pale ale.

4

Build and simmer the soup. Add vegetable stock, grated carrots, potatoes, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, smoked paprika, and ⅔ of the broccoli mixture to the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes.

A large white Staub cocotte is filled with a roux while a can of beer is slowly poured into it. A metal whisk rests inside of the pan for stirring. The pot sits atop a creamy white textured surface.
Cooking with beer is like deglazing a pan with wine—it’s all about layering the flavor! The soup captures the beer’s rich, malty notes while cooking off the alcohol.
The start of a broccoli beer cheese soup fills a large white Staub cocotte that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A wooden spoon rests inside the pot for stirring.
Let everything simmer until the flavors meld together beautifully—this is where the magic happens!

Blending the Beer Cheese Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Once the veggies are perfectly tender, it’s time to blend everything together for that signature smooth and creamy texture. This is where the magic happens—broccoli cheddar and beer cheese soups unite in one ultra-cozy, flavor-packed bowl.

You’ve got two easy options for blending—choose whichever works best for you!

  1. Use an immersion blender. True to its name, an immersion blender lets you blend directly in the pot—so convenient! Before blending, take the soup off the heat, then work slowly and carefully to achieve a smooth texture. Tip! ⇢ To avoid splatters, always make sure the immersion blender is fully submerged before turning it on.
  2. Transfer to a stand blender. No immersion blender? No problem! A stand blender works beautifully. Just be sure to blend in batches to prevent overfilling. Tip! ⇢ Remove the center cap from the lid and cover it with a thick kitchen towel to let steam escape safely while you blend.
Blended beer cheese soup with broccoli and cheddar fills a large white Staub cocotte that sits atop a creamy white textured surface.
Once blended, pour the soup back into the pot for its finishing touches.

Finishing Touches and Serving Suggestions

As a Wisconsinite, cheese is basically my love language—especially in this creamy, two-in-one soup! The more cheese, the better, so don’t hold back. It’s the ultimate cozy dinner for a chilly night.

Heavy cream and a softened broccoli and onion mixture are added to the base of a broccoli cheese soup that fills a large white Staub Dutch oven. The pot sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A wooden bowl rests alongside the pot filled with shredded cheese. A woman's hand holds a handful of shredded cheese above the pot & carefully drops it into the broccoli beer cheese soup.
A few final additions turn this soup into cheesy, comfort food perfection.
1

Add the cream and broccoli. Stir in the heavy cream and the remaining cooked broccoli over medium-low heat. Leaving the broccoli in slightly larger pieces adds a nice bit of texture to the soup.

2

Melt in the cheese. Add freshly shredded cheese, one handful at a time, stirring after each addition. Tip! ⇢ Turn off the burner as you add the cheese to ensure it melts gently and doesn’t separate.

3

Add a dash of nutmeg. Finish with a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg for a surprising hint of spice and warmth. (It’s the secret ingredient that makes broccoli cheddar soup so classic!)

Tip! ⇢ I highly recommend buying a block of high-quality cheddar and grating it yourself for this recipe. Pre-shredded cheese often has an anti-caking agent that makes it difficult for the cheese to melt. Fresh cheese gets super gooey and melty, just the way we like it.

Two small white soup bowls with handles are filled with beer cheese soup with broccoli. The bowls rest atop a creamy white textured surface surrounded by a light gray linen napkin, silver spoons, torn crusty bread, loose sprigs of fresh herbs, and a small pinch bowl filled with black pepper. The soup has been garnished with extra shredded cheese and black pepper.
Top each bowl with crispy croutons, a sprinkle of sliced chives or green onions, and an extra handful of shredded cheese—because there’s no such thing as too much cheese!
A close up macro shot of broccoli cheese soup in a white soup bowl with handles sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A light gray linen napkin, torn crusty bread, and a few loose sprigs of fresh herbs surround the bowl at center. The soup has been garnished with extra shredded cheese and black pepper and a piece of torn bread rests inside the bowl for dipping.
Grab a big spoon and serve it alongside buttered crusty bread or a soft pretzel roll for dipping.

Storage and Reheating

Making a big pot of soup and eating it throughout the week is one of my all-time fave cozy season meal prep moves. Leftover broccoli cheese soup lasts in the fridge up to 5 days.

Check the Recipe Notes, below, for more guidance!

A close up and side angle shot of broccoli beer cheese soup inside of two white soup bowls with handles. One of the soup bowls fills most of the frame and is garnished with shredded cheese, black pepper, and fresh herbs. A silver spoon rests inside of the bowl. The bowls sit atop a creamy white textured surface surrounded by loose sprigs of fresh herbs and a light gray linen napkin.
Every spoonful of this broccoli cheddar soup is pure comfort, guaranteed to warm you up from the inside out.

I can’t wait for you to try this Beer Cheese Broccoli Cheddar Soup! It’s insanely rich and comforting – just the type of meal to warm you up on a cold day. I think you’ll love it just as much as we do!

If you do give it a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. You can also snap a photo and tag @playswellwithbutter on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about and seeing your PWWB creations! ♡ Happy cooking!

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A small white soup bowl with handles is filled with broccoli beer cheese soup. The bowl rests atop a creamy white textured surface surrounded by a light gray linen napkin, silver spoons, a small ceramic plateful of shredded cheese, and torn crusty bread. The soup has been garnished with extra shredded cheese and black pepper.

Beer Cheese Broccoli Cheddar Soup

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.1 from 16 reviews
  • Author: Jess Larson
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: serves 4-6 1x
  • Category: Soups, Stews, & Chili Recipes
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian
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Description

We take soup season pretty seriously here at PWWB, and this particular Beer Cheese Broccoli Cheddar Soup recipe remixes 2 beloved Midwest soups into 1 seriously epic meal!

It’s essentially a pretty classic broccoli cheese soup recipe – loaded with broccoli, carrots, and a little potato to help build creamy texture – but we’ve enhanced its flavor with the best Wisconsin-style flavor booster…beer!

As a born and raised Wisconsinite, beer is one of my favorite secret ingredients for added flavor. It layers this soup with beautiful rich and earthy complexity. You can’t necessarily tell it’s there, but you’ll definitely notice the difference it makes in the overall flavor of the soup! For best results, use a dark and malty beer, which tends to have more complex flavors that lend well to cooking. See the Recipe Notes, below, for more guidance.

Aside from picking the right beer, the other ingredient you’ll want to be a little more selective about is the cheese. As you might imagine, the quality of cheese you use has a pretty big effect on the overall flavor of the broccoli cheddar beer cheese soup. Be sure to grab a block of nice sharp cheddar – yellow or white, whatever you prefer – and shred it yourself. See the Recipe Notes, below, for more guidance.

Happy Soup Season! ♡

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Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 1 medium head fresh broccoli, florets cut into bite-sized pieces and stems peeled and diced (approx. 4 heaping cups or 1 pound)
  • 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 12 ounces dark, malty beer (see Recipe Notes)
  • 3 cups vegetable stock or broth
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled as desired and grated
  • 1 medium russet potato, peeled and diced
  • 1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon mustard powder (can sub 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard)
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded (approx. 3 cups shredded, see Recipe Notes)
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • kosher salt and ground black pepper, to season

Instructions

  1. Prep: Gather and prep all ingredients according to Ingredients List, above – once you begin cooking, this beer cheese broccoli cheddar soup comes together pretty quickly so it’s helpful to get any chopping and measuring done ahead of time. Dice 1 yellow onion, break down 1 head of broccoli, peel and dice 1 potato, shred 12 ounces cheese, measure liquid ingredients, etc. Place everything within arm’s reach of the stove.Broccoli beer cheese soup ingredients arranged on a creamy white textured surface: unsalted butter, yellow onion, fresh broccoli, garlic, all-purpose flour, a dark & malty beer, vegetable stock, carrots, russet potato, Worcestershire sauce, mustard powder, smoked paprika, heavy cream, sharp cheddar cheese, and nutmeg.
  2. Soften the broccoli: Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once melted, stir in the onion, seasoning with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add in the broccoli, seasoning with ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vibrantly green and slightly softened, 5-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cooking until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Carefully transfer the broccoli mixture to a plate and set aside.Softened broccoli and onions for broccoli cheese soup fill a large white Staub Dutch oven cocotte. The pot sits atop a creamy white textured surface and a wooden spoon rests inside of the pot for stirring.
  3. Build the roux: Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the same pot, increasing heat to medium-high. Once melted, sprinkle the flour over top, whisking vigorously to eliminate any lumps. Cook the roux for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until golden brown. Slowly pour the beer into the pot, whisking constantly to eliminate any lumps in the roux. Simmer 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beer is fragrant and reduced slightly.A large white Staub cocotte is filled with a roux while a can of beer is slowly poured into it. A metal whisk rests inside of the pan for stirring. The pot sits atop a creamy white textured surface.
  4. Build and simmer the soup: Stir in the vegetable stock, grated carrots, diced potato, Worcestershire, mustard powder, smoked paprika, and about ⅔ of the reserved broccoli mixture from Step 2. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the veggies are very tender and the soup is thickened some.The start of a broccoli beer cheese soup fills a large white Staub cocotte that sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A wooden spoon rests inside the pot for stirring.
  5. Blend the soup: Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth and creamy, or to your desired consistency. Alternatively, you can also carefully transfer the soup into a stand blender. If so, remember to blend with caution. Work in batches to ensure the blender jar is never more than ⅔ full and be sure to remove the cap from the center of the lid. Place a thick kitchen towel over the hole and securely hold it in place as you blend the soup. Return the soup to the pot and heat to a gentle simmer.Blended beer cheese soup with broccoli and cheddar fills a large white Staub cocotte that sits atop a creamy white textured surface.
  6. Finishing touches: Remove soup from heat and add the remaining broccoli mixture from Step 2 back into the pot, along with the heavy cream. Working 1 handful at a time, slowly stir the cheese into the soup, allowing it to melt completely before adding the next handful. Stir in the grated nutmeg. Taste and season with additional salt and ground black pepper as desired.Heavy cream and a softened broccoli and onion mixture are added to the base of a broccoli cheese soup that fills a large white Staub Dutch oven. The pot sits atop a creamy white textured surface. A wooden bowl rests alongside the pot filled with shredded cheese. A woman's hand holds a handful of shredded cheese above the pot & carefully drops it into the broccoli beer cheese soup.
  7. Serve immediately, ladling the soup into individual bowls. Garnish with extra shredded cheese and serve alongside some buttered crusty bread as desired. Enjoy!Two small white soup bowls with handles are filled with beer cheese soup with broccoli. The bowls rest atop a creamy white textured surface surrounded by a light gray linen napkin, silver spoons, a small ceramic plateful of shredded cheese, torn crusty bread, loose sprigs of fresh herbs, and a small pinch bowl filled with black pepper. The soup has been garnished with extra shredded cheese and black pepper.

Equipment

Notes

Jess’ Tips and Tricks:

  • Beer: For best results, choose a dark, malty beer for this beer cheese broccoli cheddar soup (e.g. brown ale, dark ale, strong ale, dark lager, bock, porter, etc.), which tend to have earthier and more complex flavor than hoppy beers (e.g. amber, ESB, IPA, pale ale, etc.). This is especially important for cooking – once the beer’s alcohol is cooked off, we really want its flavor to come through. I developed this recipe using Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen, though any other dark, malty beer will work well.
  • Cheese: The quality of cheese you use to make this beer cheese broccoli cheddar soup has a pretty big effect in the overall flavor of the soup. Be sure to grab a block of nice sharp cheddar – yellow or white, whatever you prefer. The cheese doesn’t have to be extremely premium and high-end, but opt for something on the slightly nicer end of the spectrum. It’s also important to buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself instead of buying a bag of pre-shredded cheese. Store-bought shredded cheeses are often coated in anti-caking agents to prevent them from clumping in the bag – unfortunately, it also prevents them from melting down into a silky-smooth soup.
  • Worcestershire sauce: If keeping this broccoli cheddar soup vegan is important to you, be sure to use vegan-friendly Worcestershire sauce. My favorite vegan Worcestershire is Annie’s. If you have a hard time finding vegan-friendly Worcestershire, feel free to substitute with an equal amount of soy sauce (or tamari, or coconut aminos).
  • Bacon: If you’ve enjoyed our original recipe, you might notice an absence of bacon in this updated version. When I retested the recipe, I noticed the bacon got a little lost in all the other rich flavors happening in the soup, so I’ve opted to eliminate it for more streamlined cooking. If you want to add bacon, feel free! Render thinly sliced bacon in the soup pot before softening the veggies in Step 2. Once it’s crispy, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, then add a little butter to the pot as needed and continue to cook the recipe as directed. To serve, garnish each bowl with crispy bacon bits.
  • 15-Minute Meal Prep: Once you’ve got all of the components prepared and ready to go, this beer cheese broccoli cheddar soup comes together with very little hands-on time required. To make this an even faster weeknight dinner, eliminate active prep time by prepping a few things in advance:
    • Prepare the vegetables: Dice 1 yellow onion, break down 1 head of broccoli, and grate 2 medium carrots. Store in individual airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (10 minutes active).
    • Shred 12 ounces cheese. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days (<5 minutes active prep).

Storage and Freezing:

  • Storage and Reheating: Transfer the cooled soup to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat the soup on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through, adding in an extra splash of vegetable stock or water as needed to help achieve your desired consistency.
  • Freezing: Given the amount of dairy and cheese in this beer cheese broccoli cheddar soup, I do not recommend freezing any leftovers. The soup may break as it freezes, making the consistency of the thawed soup less than ideal. If you don’t think you’ll get to all of your leftovers, simply prepare a half batch.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 457
  • Sugar: 5.2 g
  • Sodium: 922 mg
  • Fat: 30.7 g
  • Saturated Fat: 17.8 g
  • Trans Fat: 0.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 26.3 g
  • Fiber: 3.5 g
  • Protein: 17.4 g
  • Cholesterol: 87.6 mg

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