For the beer in step 6, I recommend using a lager such as Yuengling (which is confirmed to be vegan-friendly). It adds just the right touch of beer flavor without being overpowering. If you do experiment with a different beer, I recommend choosing a lighter style with low ABV (alcohol by volume), ideally 5%.
This recipe combines inspiration from a cheese fondue I used to make and a beer cheese soup I used to order at a local restaurant during my vegetarian days. I wanted to mimic those flavors using no animal products, but I also wanted to make the recipe nutritious and avoid using store-bought, processed vegan cheeses. The result is a rich, cheesy soup that reminds me of those flavors I’d missed since ditching all animal products. I think pre-vegan me would be proud.
YIELDS
6 servings
PREP TIME
COOK TIME
TOTAL TIME
- 3 red potatoes (small)
- 1 carrot (medium)
- 1 yellow onion (small)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 cups water
- 1 cup plant-based milk
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube, crumbled
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 8–12 ounce can or bottle of beer (recommend lager like Yuengling)
- sprinkle of fried onions (for garnish)
- pinch of dried chives (for garnish)
Directions
1. In a medium pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil.
2. Once the water is boiling, add potatoes, onion, carrot, and garlic and bring to a simmer. Cook uncovered for 8–10 minutes until potatoes are soft and can be pierced with a fork.
3. In the meantime, add the rest of your ingredients except for the beer (plant-based milk, mustard, crumbled vegetable bouillon cube, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper) to a high-speed blender. I used flax milk, but oat, almond, or any plant-based milk with a neutral flavor should work.
4. Once the contents of the pot have finished cooking, let cool if your blender cannot handle heat.
5. Add contents of the pot, including water, to your blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
6. Pour the mixture from your blender into the same pot you used earlier, returning to medium-high heat. Add beer, and let heat through for 1–2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Tip: Carefully tilt the pot as you pour in your beer to minimize foam.
7. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with fried onions and chives, serve, and enjoy!
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Photo: Courtney Renee
