This Cauliflower Cheese Soup Recipe with Beer is creamy with a rich, complex flavor and has a ton of vegetables! It comes together in under an hour and rivals anything you’d get at a restaurant.
It comes as a surprise (actually more of a shock) to most people when I tell them that the food scene in Buffalo is actually pretty fabulous.
But I kid you not!
The gamut ranges from fish fries to roast beef on weck. Buffalo wings and chicken finger subs (which I literally can’t find anywhere else! Believe me, I’ve looked). Killer doughnuts and the best coffee ever, to name just a few Buffalo specialties.
One of mine and Mike's top two restaurants when we lived in Buffalo was Pearl Street Grill and Brewery. My absolute favorite thing to get there was their beer cheese soup, which they make with smoked Gouda and their own ale.
There are almost no words for that soup.
Replicating it has been on my list of things to try for a while. However, I wanted to put a slightly different twist on it with the addition of cauliflower.
I’m even tempted to call it a “healthy” twist. Just remember though, healthy is a subjective thing, a “relative word”, as my mom likes to say, lol.
Cauliflower Cheese Soup Recipe with Beer
I did a quick online search to discover that the fabulous Mark Bittman already has a great version of cauliflower beer cheese soup. (I should have known because that man literally knows how to cook everything).
I appreciate the fact that there is no need to reinvent the wheel, so my recipe is largely adapted from Mark’s with just a couple significant differences.
Namely, he uses Cheddar and bacon, and I use smoked Gouda and hickory-smoked sea salt.
And I also add just a smidgen of Worcestershire sauce because I love it in nearly all things cheese-related!
Thanks to Mark and I, and most definitely Pearl Street Grill and Brewery, I’d say this soup is practically perfect.
Or at least my version of perfect, and might just hold the spot in my heart as favorite cheese soup. Don’t hold me to that though, it’s so hard to be a monogamous cheese soup lover!
How to Freeze Cauliflower Cheese Soup:
- Put the cooled soup in freezer-safe containers. (Amazon has some great glass food storage containers!)
- Label the outside with the date and contents.
- Freeze for up to 6 months.
- When you want to enjoy the soup, thaw it to room temperature. I either leave the soup out at room temperature overnight, or leave it in the fridge for 2 days.
- Reheat the soup in a microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan on the stovetop until steaming, stirring occasionally. (Don't let it come to a boil.)
More Delicious Recipes with Beer:
Did you make this recipe? Please rate it and leave a comment below because I love hearing from you! You can also tag @anediblemosaic on social media. To stay up-to-date FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. Xoxo, Faith
Cauliflower Cheese Soup Recipe with Beer
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium-large onion chopped
- 1 large carrot diced
- 1 large stalk celery diced
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium head cauliflower chopped into florets
- 3 cups ale
- 3 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock for deeper flavor
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce use vegan Worcestershire to keep this dish vegetarian
- 1 teaspoon hickory-smoked sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper or hot sauce (more or less to taste)
- 8 ounces smoked Gouda cheese shredded
- 3 tablespoons tapioca starch see Note
Optional Toppings:
- Croutons I used my Best Paleo Sandwich Bread to make homemade croutons
- Fresh scallions thinly sliced
- Black truffle oil
- Cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Add the butter, onion, carrot, and celery to a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Cook (uncovered) until the vegetables are softened and starting to caramelize in spots, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
- Stir in the cauliflower, ale, stock, bay leaf, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Cover the pot and bring to a boil; turn the heat down slightly so it doesn’t boil over, and cook until the cauliflower is tender, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf. Carefully puree the soup using an immersion blender or in batches using a regular blender.
- Toss the Gouda and tapioca starch together in a bowl.
- Turn the heat on low under the soup and stir in the cheese a handful at a time until melted (don’t let it come up to a boil). Taste and add regular salt (not more hickory-smoked sea salt) to taste.
- Serve.
Faith's Tips
- Nutrition information for this recipe was calculated without the optional toppings.
- Recipe adapted from Mark Bittman’s recipe for Ale, Cheddar, and Cauliflower Soup.
- I used my Best Paleo Sandwich Bread recipe to make homemade croutons for topping this soup.
- Tapioca Starch: If you don’t have tapioca starch, you can use 2 tablespoons cornstarch instead.
How to Freeze Cauliflower Cheese Soup:
- Put the cooled soup in freezer-safe containers.
- Label the outside with the date and contents.
- Freeze for up to 6 months.
- When you want to enjoy the soup, thaw to room temperature. I either leave the soup out at room temperature overnight, or leave it in the fridge for 2 days.)
- Reheat in a microwave-safe bowl, or in a saucepan on the stovetop until steaming, stirring occasionally. (Don’t let it come to a boil.)
Nutrition
Here are few more yummy cheese soup recipes to try…
Macaroni and Cheeseburger Vegetable Soup
Cream of Caramelized Onion and Cheese Chowder with Homemade Croutons
This post was first published on An Edible Mosaic on April 1, 2016. I updated it with more information on September 25, 2020.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links to products I believe in, which means that even though it doesn’t cost you anything extra, I will receive a small amount of money from the sale of these items. Thank you for helping to support An Edible Mosaic!
Aunt Gretchen says
This one goes on the menu for this week, for sure... it looks yummy!
I never realized how much of a "foodie" city Buffalo is until after my daughter moved to Colorado. The first time we visited your cousin in Denver, she warned us not to expect much from the food. "It's not up to our standards" she said.
Here in Buffalo and Western New York, we're spoiled by Chefs who compete with each other for more and better flavors, and we don't even know what we have until we go somewhere else.
Rach's Recipes says
I used sharp cheddar cheese for this dish and it came out wonderfully. All the flavors worked so well to create such a comforting dish. I'm a huge cheese lover and would love to try this dish out with other cheese varieties next time,what do you recommend? Thanks for sharing.
Faith says
Rach, I'm so glad you enjoyed the soup! I bet the sharp Cheddar was great in this dish; you could try it with any cheese that melts well, like Fontina or Gruyere. You could also try it with different kinds of Cheddar, like smoked Cheddar or sharp white Cheddar. Let me know how it goes if you play with the recipe!
Dee Dee (My Midlife Kitchen) says
This sounds--and looks-absolutely ah-mazing. I love the idea of subbing cauliflower in this version. Got to try it soon!
Chrisy @ Homemade Hooplah says
Wait, beer AND cheese? I am SO in! I know my husband will love it, too :D
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
Gorgeous dish! I love the smoked Gouda with the cauliflower. I need to make this soon!
Kaitie @ Fuchsia Freezer says
What a Fantastic combo for soup! It looks absolutely amazing!!
Marissa says
This looks amazing, Faith! And I think it's genius to substitute bacon with smoked gouda and hickory smoked salt. I'm not sure I've had beer cheese soup, but I love cauliflower in soup. This is definitely on my to make ASAP list...
Have a great weekend, Faith!
Kevin | Keviniscooking says
While I’ve only been to Manhattan, I know there is more the New York and must revisit someday. Smoked Gouda is THE best! The oil drizzle and croutons here sucked me into these beautiful photos. That cauliflower is a great way to introduce some “healthy” aspect to this one! Have a great weekend.
Toni | BoulderLocavore says
What a delicious flavor combination Faith! It's still cold with snow here so this is perfect.
Ashley - Forking Up says
I am still trying to trick my fiance into eating cauliflower. He's like a child. I may try this, as he DOES like beer :)