One of the hardest parts about trying to eat vegan, for me, is omitting cheese from my diet. I’ve done well, but every now and then I’ll get a craving for it.

This easy vegetarian recipe for beer and cheese potato soup helps when I’m wanting something cheesy in taste. Plus, serving a soup with beer in it makes me a little more “cool” in hubby’s eyes. If you haven’t paid it a visit yet, Barnivore.com is a fabulous reference for determining which beers and wines are considered vegan.

A frustration that always seems to pop up while cooking with vegan cheese is the unpredictability in terms of meltability.  If you’re worried about whether or not your faux cheese will melt adequately in this soup, try using the Teese brand‘s creamy cheddar style sauce. It’s vegan and makes this cheesy vegetarian soup recipe a breeze! I love it.

I served this soup with a simple recipe for homemade white bread in our bread machine, which has been getting a workout lately because I love baking bread from scratch. I love knowing exactly what is in our bread and hubby loves cutting into it as soon as it comes out of the bread machine.

Vegan Beer and Cheese Potato Soup – Approximately 5 servings

2 pounds medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium stalk celery, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped finely

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 – 14 ounce container veg broth

1 – 12 ounce can/bottle of your favorite vegan beer

8 ounces shredded vegan cheese or 10 ounce package of Teese sauce

1/2 cup soy creamer

Prepare potatoes, onion, celery, carrot, garlic and pepper as listed above and combine in your crock pot, stirring to mix well. Gently pour broth and beer over the vegetables and stir once more. Cover your slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. About 15 minutes before serving, mash the softened vegetables with a hand-held potato masher or immersion blender. Mix in the cheese and soy creamer, stirring until the cheese is melted. Cover and allow to cook a few minutes more so that everything is heated through. Serving ideas… top with croutons or laden into bread bowls or serve with a slice of fresh baked bread.

Simple Vegan White Bread – Makes a 2 pound loaf in bread machine

1 1/4 cups unsweetened soymilk

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups bread flour

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast or other bread machine yeast

Place all ingredients into your bread machine bin according to the manufacturer’s directions (mine adds liquids first). Select the 2 pound loaf size and use the basic white bread cycle.