Sourdough Bread Bowls Are The Only Way To Serve Up Beer Cheese Soup

Beer cheese soup is a fixture from pubs to supper clubs for a reason. It's comforting, warming, hearty, and familiar — especially if it comes served in a bread bowl. Foodies love bread bowls for their warm, plush insides and crusty, structurally-sound exterior. Beer and cheese are an iconic hedonistic duo for good-natured gourmands far and wide. Adding sourdough bread into the mix makes for a deliriously delish trio.

The tanginess of sourdough works to cut through some of the richness of beer cheese soup. Plus, thanks to its thicker consistency, beer cheese soup is a natural candidate for bread bowls. Thinner soups tend to soak into that glutinous vehicle more quickly, rendering it soggy. Prefer a gluten-free bread bowl? We have a few tips for that.

To make a flavorful, sturdy sourdough bread bowl at home, simply bake (or purchase) a small loaf or roll of sourdough bread, then lightly slice a circle into the top of the roll without cutting through the bottom of the loaf. Once the superficial circle has been carved, reach in with your hand and pull out the center, "coring" the loaf and creating a functional bowl hollow. You can reserve the pulled-out sourdough center for dunking in the soup, or hit it with some Italian seasoning and a blast in the oven and turn it into croutons. From there, just ladle in your beer and cheddar soup and enjoy.

This soup upgrade is a great excuse to flex your hand at beginner bread-making with low stakes. Or alternatively, it's also a great excuse for patronizing your local bakery. Beer cheese soup bread bowls are also great for tailgates and backyard barbecues, as (except for the spoons) they're dirty-dish-free.

Loaded with garlic, celery, carrots, yellow onion, chives, orange sweet pepper, or any other ingredients you like to add, your beer cheese bread bowl soup can be as substantial as it is novel. Or, if you prefer a more simplistic soup, it only requires three ingredients: Stock, beer, and cheese. Depending on the type of stock you use, this ultra-savory dish can be totally vegetarian.

For the best beer cheese soup, opt for a malty brown or amber ale with light hops. Miller High Life and Leinenkugel are solid options, as are most non-stout brews with toasty, bready notes — which would be extra tasty alongside the sourdough. Any blonde, pale ale, or Oktoberfest is a safe bet. Just stay away from IPAs and light beers for a good soup. On the cheese end of the equation, tangy sharp cheddar would complement the tanginess of the sourdough. Piquant cheddar also totes apt meltability and fat content. Or, feel free to play up that sourdough funk with Swiss or smoky gouda for earthy balance.