Oooh, Canadian cheese soup—thick, cozy, and unapologetically cheesy 🇨🇦🧀
Think pub comfort food meets winter survival.
Here’s a classic Canadian-style cheddar soup, the kind you’d get with crusty bread after being outside too long.
Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 carrot, grated or very finely chopped
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1½ cups milk (or half-and-half for richer)
- 2½–3 cups sharp Canadian cheddar, freshly grated
- ½ tsp dry mustard (or 1 tsp Dijon)
- Salt & black pepper
- Optional but very Canadian upgrades:
- ¼ tsp paprika or cayenne
- ½ cup beer (lager or ale)
- Splash of Worcestershire
How to make it
- Sauté the base
Melt butter, add onion and carrot. Cook gently until soft and sweet (don’t brown). - Build the soup
Stir in flour, cook 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in broth, then milk. Simmer until lightly thickened. - Cheese time
Lower heat. Add cheddar by handfuls, stirring until melted.
Add mustard, pepper, and any optional extras. - Taste & adjust
Salt carefully—cheese does a lot of the work.
Key rules (important)
- Low heat when adding cheese (or it can go grainy)
- Freshly grated cheese only—pre-shredded won’t melt smoothly
- Sharp cheddar = more flavor, less bland soup
Variations
- Cheddar & bacon: crisp bacon, stir in at the end
- Broccoli cheddar: add steamed broccoli, blend lightly
- Smoky version: smoked cheddar or a pinch of smoked paprika
- Extra pub-style: beer + Worcestershire + cayenne
Serve with:
- crusty bread or garlic toast
- pretzel buns
- or honestly… fries for dipping 👀
If you want it ultra-thick, blended smooth, or pairing it with that pot pie, say the word and I’ll dial it in.
