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Creamy beer cheese stuffed pepper soup made with ground beef and peppers in a white bowl served on a wood tray.

Beer Cheese Stuffed Pepper Soup

Author: Julie Degel
This Beer Cheese Stuffed Pepper Soup combines the flavors of two comforting soups into one delicious bowl! Savory ground beef, peppers, and beer come together in a rich, creamy, cheesy broth with a little heat from pickled jalapeños. Serve with rice for a cozy, satisfying dinner.
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Prep Time:30 minutes
Cook Time:45 minutes
Total Time:1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: beer cheese soup, Cooking with Beer, meal prep, stuffed pepper soup
Servings: 6

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef preferably 85/15 or 90/10
  • 1 medium yellow onion diced
  • 1 large green bell pepper diced
  • 1/2 large red bell pepper diced
  • 2 –3 tbsp finely chopped pickled jalapeños
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 12 oz Festbier Märzen, Oktoberfest, or another malty lager
  • 1 1/2 cups beef broth plus up to 1/2 cup more as needed
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp mustard powder
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne optional
  • 1 cup half-and-half
  • 8 oz sharp cheddar cheese freshly shredded
  • 4 oz Monterey Jack cheese freshly shredded
  • 1 –2 tbsp pickled jalapeño juice
  • Kosher salt to taste

For serving

  • 2 cups cooked long grain white rice

Instructions

  1. Brown the beef. Heat a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the ground beef and spread it into an even layer. Let it cook undisturbed for a couple of minutes to develop some good browning, then break it into bite-sized crumbles. Season with kosher salt. Cook until browned and cooked through. You can drain the meat here if you'd like, but it isn't necessary. If there's a lot of grease, I like to soak some of it up with a paper towel.
  2. Cook the peppers and onion. Add the onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper. Season with kosher salt. Cook for about 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the pickled jalapeños and garlic and cook for another 30–60 seconds. Transfer the meat and vegetables to a bowl and set aside. I like removing everything at this point because it makes the roux much easier to work with and prevents the vegetables from getting broken up while whisking the soup base. It's ok if some bits of vegetables and meat remain in the pot.
  3. Make the roux. Melt the butter in the same pot over medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook for about 1–2 minutes, whisking frequently, to cook out the raw flour taste.
  4. Add the beer. Slowly pour in the beer while whisking continuously. The mixture will initially become quite thick. Continue gradually adding the beer and whisking until smooth. Cook at a gentle simmer for about 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally. This takes the raw edge off the beer while preserving its malty character.
  5. Build the soup base. Gradually whisk in 1½ cups of beef broth. Add the Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, mustard powder, oregano, black pepper, and cayenne, if using. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 3–5 minutes, until the broth has thickened slightly.
  6. Add the dairy. Reduce the heat to low. To temper the half-and-half, place it in a separate bowl and whisk in about a tablespoon of the warm soup base. Gradually whisk in a little more of the warm soup base before pouring the half-and-half mixture into the pot. This helps reduce the risk of the half-and-half curdling. Heat gently until steaming, but do not boil. Remove the pot from the heat.
  7. Add the cheese. Add the cheddar and Monterey Jack a handful at a time, stirring until completely melted and smooth before adding more. Keeping the pot off direct heat at this stage helps create a smoother beer cheese broth and reduces the chance of the cheese becoming grainy or separating.
    TIP: To make the soup base extra creamy, pulse it a few times with an immersion blender before adding the meat and vegetables back to the pot.
  8. Finish the soup. Return the beef and vegetables to the pot. If serving immediately and you don't plan on having leftovers, stir in 1 cup of cooked rice, adding more until you reach your desired amount. If you plan on having leftovers, keep the rice separate. To serve, add about ⅓ cup of cooked rice to each bowl and ladle the soup over it.
    Place the pot over low heat just long enough to warm everything through. Don't bring it back to a boil.
  9. Check the consistency. If the soup is thicker than you'd like, add the reserved beef broth, ¼ cup at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
  10. Balance the flavor. Stir in 2 tablespoons of pickled jalapeño juice. Taste the soup. Add additional juice if the soup needs a little more brightness, and season with salt as necessary. Because the cheese, broth, Worcestershire sauce, jalapeños, and juice all contain salt, I recommend tasting the finished soup before adding more salt. I added ½ teaspoon to mine.

Notes

Beer: Any malty lager will work in this recipe. If you want to use a Festbier, Weihenstephaner Festbier, Paulaner Oktoberfest Bier, and Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest are good options. Yuengling Lager would also work well. If your local brewery offers crowlers, growlers, or cans, you can also pick up one of their lagers to use in this soup!