Soup has a bit of an unfortunate stereotype for being boring. Let’s face it, it’s not most people’s first choice when it comes to dinner, but that’s mainly because soup can be very predictable – both in the ingredients it contains and its flavors.

Before you rule out soup entirely from your diet, consider this: a soup that is both creamy and salty, and contains bacon.

Look, no-one can turn bacon down. It’s just too darn delicious.

As an added bonus, this soup also contains beer. This is what gives a new flavor that you’ve probably never experienced in a soup before. If you’re not really a big beer drinker, don’t fret – it tastes completely different when it’s included in savory dishes.

As if beer and bacon wasn’t an intriguing enough combination, we have the ingredient to bring it all together (and solidify your need to make this recipe ASAP): cheese.

We all know that cheese is life itself. It can be added to almost every dish out there, and it’s a bit of a miracle-worker in the flavor department. Cheese can make even the most boring of dishes taste like heaven in your mouth.

If you’re fully convinced that you need this cheese beer bacon soup in your life, we’ve got you covered with the recipe below. Grab your apron, gather your ingredients, and let’s get started!

What you’ll need:

• 6 slices of thick bacon
• 1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons of garlic powder
• 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 to 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (to your liking)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1 cup of Belgian-wheat beer
• 1 cup of chicken stock (reduced sodium is best)
• 2 cups of half-and-half
• 8 ounces of shredded mild cheese, like cheddar
• 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
• Sprinkling of chives
• Handful of croutons
• Extra bacon

Here’s what to do:

1. Chop or cut your bacon, adding it to a large pot. Put on a high heat and stir until crisp. While you’re waiting, cut or chop your chicken into small pieces.

2. Remove the bacon from the pot, leaving the fat behind. Then add your chicken chunks into the pot, sprinkling with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Stir until cooked through.

3. Remove the chicken, setting it aside with the bacon. Then cut your butter into small squares and add it to the pan, followed by your flour and seasonings. Whisk the ingredients together over a high heat.

4. Pour in your beer, continuing to whisk for 2 minutes, then add your chicken stock and half-and-half. Turn your heat down to medium and add in the cheese.

5. Continue to stir and add cheese until a smooth mixture is formed. Then pour in the Worcester sauce and the chicken and bacon. Leave some spare bacon behind for garnish.

6. Pour into bowls and serve up with a sprinkling of bacon, croutons and chives. Absolutely delicious!

The great thing about this soup recipe is that it’s really not so complex. You just need to add your ingredients to a pan and stir. It’s fairly quick, too, so if you don’t have a lot of time on your hands, it’s easy to whip up in 20-30 minutes.

Try the recipe out for yourself and prepare to become a soup fan once more!

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Source: Sweet and Savory, YouTube/Donna Elick, Slow Roasted Italian