Ingredients

Scale

2 Tablespoons butter or extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled & chopped (about 1 cup)
3 – 5 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
2 large carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 cups chopped zucchini (about 2 store-size zucchini)
12 oz. beer (lager, red or brown ale – avoid bitter IPAs, sour or fruity beers)
1 cup vegetable or chicken broth
1 bay leaf
4 oz. Neufchatel (light cream cheese)
1 – 1 1/ 2 cups shredded sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese
Salt & freshly ground pepper, if needed, to taste

Instructions

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the butter or oil, allow it to warm and coat the bottom of the pan. Then add the onion and saute until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, celery and carrots and saute a few minutes longer.
Add the zucchini, beer, broth and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then cover, reduce to a simmer and let cook for 30 minutes or so, until all the veggies are very tender.
Remove the bay leaf, then use an immersion blender to blend until silky smooth – or let the soup cool, then blend in a blender, adding in the Neufchatel and cheddar cheese. Taste and add more broth or cheese, salt & pepper if desired. If it’s too thick, you can stir in a bit of milk. If you’ve cooled the soup, heat it until it’s hot again and enjoy!

Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: Sumptuous Spoonfuls – https://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/ … © Copyright 2025, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.

Keywords: Soup, Vegetarian, Zucchini, Beer, Cheese