With the holidays behind us and a few months of snow and cold ahead, it is now officially soup season. I consider that good news, however, as there are loads of delicious soups to make and warming beers with which to prepare or pair them.
Soup Made with Beer
Rueben Chowder
Try this Rueben sandwich in a bowl (pictured at top) from Craft Beer & Brewing's Cooking with Beer special issue. For a complementary pairing, try a strong German dopplebock such as Schneider Aventinus (Kelheim, Germany). Or try a Rye IPA such as Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA (Chico, California), Bear Republic Hop Rod Rye (Healdsburg, California), Founder’s Red’s Rye IPA (Grand Rapids, Michigan), or New Belgium RyePA (Fort Collins, Colorado). For contrast, try a maltier English-style IPA.
Serves: 6
4 Tbs butter
1 cup onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
¼ cup flour
12 fl oz brown ale
2 cup chicken stock
1 cup Idaho potato, diced
1 cup tomato, seeded and diced
3 oz Swiss cheese, shredded
1 cup canned sauerkraut, drained
12 oz corned beef, diced
1½ cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Rye croutons, toasted
In a heavy-bottom pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the flour and mix well.
Add the beer, chicken stock, potatoes, and tomatoes and reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes. Add the Swiss cheese and stir until it melts into the soup. Add the sauerkraut, corned beef, and cream and bring to a simmer again for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve in crocks and garnish with toasted rye croutons.
Craft Beer and Soup Pairings
French Onion Soup + Brown Ale
Try your hand at this classic French Onion Soup recipe from Epicurious and pair it with an American brown ale for a hearty winter’s dinner.
- Avery Brewing Company (Boulder, Colorado) Ellie’s Brown Ale
- Smuttynose Brewing Company (Hampton, New Hampshire) Old Brown Dog Ale
- Dogfish Head Brewery (Milton, Delaware) Indian Brown Ale
- Surly Brewing Company (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Bender
Moroccan-style Vegetable and Chickpea Stew + Munich Dunkel
This vegan Moroccan stew, spiced with cinnamon, cumin, and coriander, would do well with a rich dark wheat beer.
- Brauerei Aying (Aying, Germany) Ayinger Altbairisch Dunkel
- Capital Brewery (Middleton, Wisconsin) Capital Dark
- Mother Earth Brewing (Kinston, North Carolina) Dark Cloud
- Hofbräuhaus München (Munich, Germany) Hofbräu Dunkel
Udon Noodle and Miso Soup + Czech Pilsener
An earthy udon soup, such as Mark Bittman’s take on udon noodle soup with shiitake mushrooms, is well-suited to a crisp and dry Czech Pils.
- Samuel Adams Brewery (Boston, Massachusetts) Noble Pils
- Live Oak Brewing Company (Austin, Texas) Live Oak Pilz
- Plzensky Prazdroj (Plzen, Czech Republic) Pilsner Urquell
- Notch Brewing (Ipswich, Massachusetts) Notch Session Pils
Tortilla Soup + Gose
Try this blended tortilla soup recipe from Food & Wine, and add a chipotle pepper or two for extra spiciness; the tanginess from a gose adds a nice kick, too.
- Almanac Beer Co. (San Francisco, California) Golden Gate Gose
- Off Color Brewing (Chicago, Illinois) Troublesome
- Les Trois Mousquetaires (Brossard, Quebec) Hors Série Gose
- Lost Nation Brewing (Morrisville, Vermont) Gose
Spicy Carrot and Ginger Soup With Harissa + Irish Dry Stout
Spice with a stout can be done, as Serious Eats’ spicy carrot and ginger soup pairs well with a creamy dry stout.
- Bar Harbor Brewing Company (Bar Harbor, Maine) Cadillac Mountain Stout
- Sun King Brewing Company (Indianapolis, Indiana) Ring of Dingle Irish Stout
- Le Trou du Diable (Shawinigan, Quebec) La Sang-d’encre
- Brooklyn Brewery (Brooklyn, New York) Brooklyn Dry Irish Stout
Italian Wedding Soup + Rye Ale
There’s a lot to love with Italian Wedding Soup (did someone say mini-meatballs?). Pair it with a rye pale ale or IPA for a bready and spicy complement.
- The Civil Life Brewing Company (St. Louis, Missouri) Rye Pale Ale
- Sixpoint Brewery (Brooklyn, New York) Righteous Ale
- Reuben’s Brews (Seattle, Washington) American Rye
- Harpoon Brewery (Boston, Massachusetts) Rich & Dan’s Rye IPA