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Beer and Cheddar Soup with Kielbasa Sausage
I've been making this soup since the fall of 2018, when I was trying to stretch a single package of kielbasa across two dinners without it tasting reheated. The first time I served it, I dumped in too much beer and ended up with something closer to gravy than broth. That taught me the balance: one cup of lager for flavor, the rest water or stock.I keep this on a permanent rotation because it comes together while I'm chopping vegetables for another dish — everything happens in one pot, and the smoked sausage does the heavy lifting so you don't have to reach for extra seasonings. A trick that changed things: toast the garlic and onion in the rendered fat from the kielbasa before adding anything else, then deglaze with the beer while it's still hot. The soup holds up well in the fridge for four days and actually tastes better on day two after the cheddar has had time to meld.
Ingredients
Method
- Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic and sliced kielbasa; stir and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the sausage begins to brown slightly at the edges and you can smell the smoked paprika release its aroma.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly so it doesn't clump. The mixture should look like wet sand.
- Pour in the broth and beer slowly while whisking to fully incorporate the flour. Bring to a gentle simmer — do not boil hard at this stage.
- Stir in the milk, smoked paprika, and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Reduce heat to low. Add 2 cups of the shredded cheddar one handful at a time, waiting until each addition melts before adding more. This prevents the cheese from becoming grainy or clumpy.
- Taste and season with salt as needed — the kielbasa is already salty, so taste before adding more. Serve topped with the remaining 2 cups of cheddar.
Nutrition
Notes
- This soup thickens considerably as it cools. Thin with additional broth or milk when reheating.
- Freezes well for up to three months, though the texture may change slightly — stir in a splash of fresh cream before serving after thawing.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute coconut milk and dairy-free cheddar shreds; the flavor shifts but remains delicious.
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