Vegan Beer Cheese Soup in a Soft Pretzel Bowl
This cozy vegan beer cheese soup is nut-free and tastes like actual beer cheese soup, not just a healthy version of it! Surprisingly though, this cozy soup is dairy-free, easy to make gluten-free, and includes an oil-free option along with some sneaky hidden veggies.
Ingredients
- 3 cups peeled and diced potatoes
- ½ cup peeled and diced carrots
- ½ cup peeled and diced onions
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/3 cup olive oil see notes for oil-free
- 4 large cloves garlic
- 2 Tbsp yellow mustard
- 2 Tbsp German mustard or any spicy mustard
- 1 Tbsp vegan bouillon powder
- 1.5 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 cup beer See notes for brand suggestions.
Optional
- 4 vegan-friendly soft pretzel buns
Instructions
- BOIL: First, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the diced potatoes, carrots, and onions. Keep at a low boil - covered - for about 10-15 minutes (or until the potatoes are fork tender).
- BLEND: When veggies are finished boiling, strain them and add them to your food processor. Spray out the large pot they were boiling in and set it aside. Then, add the remainder of the soup ingredients (EXCEPT the beer) to your food processor. Pulse 4-5 times to start chopping up the bigger pieces of veg. Then, turn the blender to high and blend for at least 1-2 minutes to fully emulsify the oil. The mixture will be smooth and shiny.
- FINISH: Add the contents of the food processor to the sprayed-out pot and stir in the beer. Cover and bring the mixture to a boil. Then, turn the heat to low, remove the cover, and simmer for 7-10 minutes. Stir the soup frequently, making sure you scrape the bottom of the pot. If the soup becomes too thick for your taste, feel free to add a little more water until it reaches your desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings as you see fit.
- SERVE: To make the pretzel bowls - Get out your soft pretzel bun and use a sharp knife to cut a circle into the top, careful not to go all the way through the bun. Scoop the bread out with a spoon to create space for the soup.Pour the beer cheese soup into the soft pretzel bowl, sprinkle with paprika, vegan bacon, and/or chives and enjoy!
Notes
MAKE IT OIL-FREE: Cut out the olive oil and add ¼ cup raw cashews or sunflower seeds to the pot of boiling water with the veggies. This will require a high-powered blender like a Vitamix.
MAKE IT GLUTEN-FREE: Use a gluten-free beer and skip the pretzel buns!
NOTES ON BEER: A pilsner is a great place to start if you don’t want much of a beer taste; look for the brand Pilsner Urquell. Golden Lager or Hellesbock work best if you want a good beer taste that’s not overpowering. We suggest Hacker Pschorr Munich (or Munchner) Gold, Paulaner’s Munchner Lager, Paulaner’s Salvator, or Ayinger Dunkel for traditional German.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!