This Pumpkin Beer Cheese Soup was inspired by my Conversation with a Cheesemonger (Derrick Sanders). During this conversation I asked Derrick for a cheese that could be used as a topping on my Roasted Pumpkin and Red Chile Soup, a sweet and savory, spicy soup. After looking at the recipe, he recommended a “hard, salty grating cheese: Piave, Parrano, Podda, Capra sarda, and Zamorano.”All of these cheeses sounded so good, and gave me the inspiration to start from scratch and come up with another pumpkin soup that was still sweet, savory and spicy, but also, deliciously cheesy.
This first time I made this soup, I roasted a small pumpkin and used Zamorano and Double Gloucester cheese because that’s what I had on hand. The soup was good, but the Double Gloucester didn’t really work. It actually added a bit of a bitterness to the soup. The next time I made it, all I could find was a Japanese Pumpkin (Kabocha) which was just as good if not better than using a regular pumpkin. Parrano was used in place of the Double Gloucester yielding the soup I was going for.
This Pumpkin Beer Cheese Soup is rich, super creamy, cheesy, spicy and utterly delicious. Serve as a starter using small cups, or as a meal in small bowls with a side of apple slices (my favorite), buttermilk cornbread (Bobby’s favorite) or a crusty baguette or pieces of garlic toast.
Pumpkin Beer Cheese Soup
A rich, super creamy, cheesy, spicy and utterly delicious soup. Serve as a starter or as a meal.
The recipe assumes that you already have the pumpkin puree'. If not, allow at least an hour to roast and puree' a pumpkin.
"*" See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- ½ onion, diced
- 2 cups roasted pumpkin puree*
- 1 cup milk
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 – 12 ounce bottle of beer (I use Shiner Bock)*
- 1 cup Parrano Originale cheese*, grated
- 1 cup Zamorano cheese*, grated
- ½ tsp. red chile powder*
- ¼ tsp. smoked paprika
- Generous pinch or 2 of murupi amerela chile powder*
- ½ tsp. dried thyme, crushed
- Salt to taste
- Top with chives and a sprinkle of smoked paprika
- Melt the butter over medium low heat in a soup pot.
- Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add the 3 chile powers (red, paprika, murupi) and cook, stirring for 30 seconds.
- Add the pumpkin puree and stir to combine.
- Add the milk and cream, stirring constantly to thoroughly incorporate into the puree.
- Stir in the beer and the thyme.
- Increase heat to medium and stir constantly until soup is hot, but not simmering or boiling.
- Stir in the cheeses and continue to stir until melted.
- Remove from the heat and blend using an immersion blender. If you don’t have an immersion blender, then you need to get one. 🙂 Or you could pour the soup into a blender and blend. (This step is for texture. By blending, the texture of the soup is smoother and creamier.)
- Let cool for about 30 minutes if you have time; however, this step is optional.
- Slowly reheat, stirring constantly. Do not let it boil!
- Scoop into cups or small soup bowls. Top with chopped chives and a sprinkle of smoked paprika.
- Serve with a side of sliced apples, cornbread, baguette, or lightly toasted garlic bread.
Pumpkin Puree – Homemade roasted pumpkin puree is always the best; however, you could easily use canned pumpkin puree.
To roasted a pumpkin, cut in half, brush with your choice of oil on the cut surfaces, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast, cut side up in a 400°F for 40 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from the oven and let cool. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds and fibrous pulp. Scoop the roasted flesh into a large bowl (for an immersion blender) or blender. Blend until smooth.
The Beer – Shiner Bock (a dark American style lager) works great, but you could substitute just about any kind of dark lager. I personally think Negro Modelo or Bohemia would work nicely.
Cheese – The cheese you use is really to satisfy your own personal taste buds and to complement the beer. The combination I use in this recipe works great! Here are links to the cheeses I use:
Chile Powders – Please be sure to use “chile” powders, not “chili” powder blends. For this recipe, I used a medium hot New Mexico red chile powder, a Spanish smoked paprika, and a little bit of the extra spicy murupi amerela chile powder from Fords Fiery Foods and Plants. The murupi amerela provided a very subtle but nice spicy kick at the end of each bite.
This Pumpkin Beer Cheese soup is a great soup for a special occasion or when you just want to throw caution to the wind and eat something really delicious and decadent.
Here are a few other pumpkin soups that are as rich and tasty of this cheese soup.
I tried this but only had a light lager – didn’t grab me. Will have to experiment. Thanks
I made it with a light lager once and agree with you on the outcome. Dark beers add more flavor where it actually tastes like a beer soup. 🙂 Keep experimenting.
OOOH, thanks – will be making this soon. Cheers
thanks Carole! I hope you enjoy it because we LOVE IT! 🙂
So glad you’re back on deck, MJ! Cheers
I am so behind in reading. Sorry I have been away and missed these recipes!!!
Your Pumpkin Beer Cheese Soup sounds like real comfort food, MJ! I was interested to read about how you decided which cheese to use too. Thank you for sharing this post with us at the Hearth and Soul hop. I’m featuring it in my Hearth and Soul post this week.
Thanks so much April! It is definitely comfort food!
Now that’s the perfect comfort food for a cold winter night. Never thought of pumpkin with cheese and I’m loving the idea of it. I’ve got to try this recipe! Beautiful post, MJ!
Thanks Bill! I hope you do get a chance to try it. I’ve always thought beer cheese soup was a little heavy. The pumpkin solves that problem. It’s much lighter and more healthy, obviously. 🙂
Oh my MJ this is brilliant. I bet it tastes amazing. You know how you can just read a recipe and know it is going to be tasty. This is just exactly one of these cases. I just read your Chile and Chili post. Thanks for that clarification. For some reason on my wordpress posts it always autocorrects to the one I don’t want…Just shared! Have a super week!
Thanks so much Bam and thanks for sharing! I know what you mean about looking at recipes and knowing they’re good. So glad you see that with this one.
I love trying different types of cheese and I am sure these two along with the smoked paprika must gave this soup a very special touch!
Thanks Katerina! I’m really starting to get in to trying more and more cheeses after meeting Derrick. 🙂
mmmm this is a soup that will keep you warm at night! yum.
It definitely will! 🙂
Wow, this sounds INCREDIBLE! Yum!
G’day Love the combination!
Viewed via Nancy’s YBR!
Hope you will share some of your delicious recipes via our #SayGdayParty that starts Saturday our time MJ!
Cheers! Joanne
Thanks Joanne! I will check out your party on Saturday. I hope I remember. 🙂
This cheesemonger Derrick is influencing your life in a wonderful way! The idea of a cheesy pumpkin soup is unusual, but totally inspired. It looks delicious.
You’ve got that right Viviane! He has opened me up to a whole new world of cheese. Thanks!
Very odd combination but I know this would taste amazing
It is amazing Raymund! Thanks!
I have never had those flavors of cheese, I must find them! Your soup looks gorgeous! What a perfect recipe for a cold day! Hugs, Terra
Thanks Terra! Oh there is so much cheese out there to try and so little time. 🙂
MJ, this soup sounds fabulously delicious! What a great way to make pumpkin soup even better. I love the the idea of blending such great flavors for a more savory soup…thanks for sharing! Looks awesome!
Thanks so much Jodee!
This soup looks so delectable, MJ! I love the addition of pumpkin!
Thanks Amy! The pumpkin turned out to be a great addition!
This sounds like a fabulous combination! I love soup of all kind!
Thanks Darlin!
So what are the chances of you shipping this little delight to Northern California? 😀 — this soup sounds extraordinary MJ. Rich, earthy, full of flavor and all the comfort we crave this time of year…the side of apples is fresh and welcome; love that idea. I’ve yet to make a beer soup and this one is calling me big time! (with extra chile of course). I wonder how an IPA would work here? (since our arrival in CA we are rather hooked on the hops :D).
I’d love to ship you a pot of this Kelly, but why not just make. It’s so easy! As far as if IPA would work, I wish I could answer that but I’m not much of a beer drinker and IPAs are not on my list. I used Shiner because it was one of the few beers that I’ll drink. Most of the beer soup recipe I’ve seen call for lagers or ales so I’m not sure about IPA. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!
What a beautiful soup, MJ! And you don’t need to wonder what drink you should serve with it 😉 The addition of the two kinds of cheese sounds very original. I’m relieved: there is chile too! (Have you counted how many posts, excluding sweets, do not contain chile in any form??? I bet it’s close to zero!).
No you don’t have to worry about what to drink with it. 🙂 Thanks Sissi! Actually, we probably should include sweets in the count. Remember the New Mexico Style chocolate pudding and the spicy chocolate shots? 🙂
I love the idea of adding beer in pumpkin soup. So creamy and flavourful…o man..I am getting hungry, MJ.
Thanks Angie!
This the most interesting soup recipe I have ever cone across. Beer in soup is something very new to me. Your post has made me so intrigued. But without a doubt I feel like grabbing that bowl and polishing off with garlic toast 🙂
Thanks so much Taruna! It’s quite different and quite delicious!
What a unique and lovely soup! Beer and pumpkin do go so well together!
Thanks so much Judit and Carina!
Pingback: Conversation With a Cheesemonger | MJ's Kitchen
Your soup is beautifully presented. I’ve never made soup with beer before! This looks rich and creamy and packed with flavour xx
Thanks Charlie! This was the first soup I have ever made with beer and it turned out pretty darn good! I like it better with the pumpkin than without.
Wow! That soup has got to be OUT OF SIGHT!!!! All that cheese with the pumpkin and the spices. I think you have outdone yourself this time!
Thanks so much Carol! It is pretty darn good!
MJ, wish I could taste this heavenly soup. sound perfect for the weather here….amazing clicks!
Thanks Nisa!
Life would suck without cheese. You know I keep meaning to make a beer cheese soup and never do. I am really inspired now, this recipe looks awesome and will keep your cheese suggestion in mind. Happy Thanksgiving!
Amen to that! I tried cutting it out of my diet once and just couldn’t do it. It’s just all so good and now I’ve realized that I still have so many to try.
This soup sounds perfect for cold weather! I had beer cheese for the first time last month and it was incredible. I know this soup is going to be out of this world, especially with the pumpkin added.
Thanks Jen! I’ve had regular beer cheese soup as well and I had to say that I like this version better. It’s not near as heavy but still provides the rich flavor and texture. happy thanksgiving!
Cheese, pumpkin, and Da Beers :); must be heavenly good flavor there. Your soup is just perfect for this wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Lots of things to be thankful for — good food, good family, and good friends. Happy Thanksgiving to you and Bobby, my friend. 🙂
We do have lots of things to be thankful for don’t we ? 🙂 thanks Ray!
Your soup sure looks good and so inviting especially in this snowy weather. Save a cup for me will ya? Wishing you and hubby a very Happy Thanksgiving!
I will be very happy to save you a cup Linda! Happy thanksgiving to you and yours as well!
What a rich and delicious soup! Perfect to warm me up and this cold fall day. MJ- wishing you and your family a fabulous Thanksgiving!!!
Thanks Ramona! And a very Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
Pingback: A Collection of Kabocha Squash Recipes | MJ's Kitchen
I haven’t had a Shiner Bock in years! That’s a nice beer, and reason enough to make this soup. Cheese soup with beer I’ve had (although never made), but adding pumpkin really is an interesting new idea. Terrific stuff! Thanks.
Thanks John! I’m not much of a beer drinker, but I do love Shiner Bock. It’s easy to get down here, so we always have a few bottles here at the house. The pumpkin was my attempt in reducing the fat content of a beer cheese soup and it worked quite nicely. It’s still not diet food, but I don’t feel guilty eating it at all. 🙂