Instant Pot Beer Cheese Soup Recipe - A Rich and Delicious Soup (2024)

FAQs

Why do you avoid simmering your soup after adding the cheese? ›

Cheese can curdle when added to soup due to the high temperatures and acidity in the soup. The proteins in cheese are sensitive to heat and acid, causing them to separate and form curds.

At a temperature of 150 or so, the protein bonds in the cheese break down and as a result, too much fo the moisture escapes too quickly. Keep the heat very low, and make sure the cheese is one of the last things added to the soup.

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

Mild cheddar, Colby, Monterey jack, mozzarella, Swiss and queso blanco can all work well. “The best cheeses to melt into soups are cheeses that are higher in moisture and have a lower melting point,” says Bauer. In addition to cheddar and Monterey jack, he recommends Fontina and Gruyère.

Why did my beer cheese soup curdle? This happens when the proteins separate and bind together. Your soup is no longer smooth and creamy; it's grainy and unpleasant. If your soup has reached this state, take your soup off the heat and stir in 1 cup of shredded Velveeta cheese.

When it's time to add the cheese into the soup, sprinkle it in in batches, stirring until each batch is melted before adding the next batch vs dumping it all in at once. This will ensure there are no clumps in the final soup.

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

What 2 ingredients are used to thicken the soup? ›

The three main ingredients you can use to thicken a soup are flour, cornstarch, and xantham gum.

Roux. As a liquid thickening agent, a roux is a perfect way to add viscosity to various soups and sauces, especially four out of the five Mother Sauces used in French cuisine.

Add Flour, Cornstarch, or Other Thickener: Starches thicken soup and give it body. Whisk a few tablespoons of starch into a little of the broth in a separate bowl before whisking it into the main pot. This prevents the starch from clumping and helps it dissolve into the soup evenly.

Create A Cornstarch Slurry With Equal Parts Water

For Lindsay Mattison's Panera-style broccoli and cheddar soup recipe, she advises using a tablespoon of cornstarch for every cup of liquid.

Cheese should be added to the soup towards the end of the cooking process, just before serving. Adding the cheese too early can cause it to overcook and become stringy. By adding it towards the end, you allow the cheese to melt gently while maintaining its desired texture and flavor.

Adding extra cream can thicken a creamy or blended soup like this wild mushroom-soup, but stirring in a spoonful of thick yogurt can be more effective. Be careful not to boil the soup once you've added the cream or yogurt or it may split.