Fluffy Cheese Soufflé Recipe
The soufflé has been around for quite a while, and we have France to thank for the decadent little treat. You can make either a savory or sweet soufflé, but the real treat is in that light and fluffy texture — something that recipe developer Jennine Bryant from The Marshside Pantry loves about her cheese soufflé recipe. "I love how this recipe makes me feel like a proper chef, it seems complex but it is actually really straightforward and the end result is like eating fluffy, cheesy clouds," Bryant raves.
Admittedly, Bryant was always scared to try making soufflés, but she finally mustered up the courage to and it totally paid off. "One family Christmas though, I decided to go all out and attempt a three course meal, starting with smoked salmon soufflés. I conquered my fear and they turned out great," Bryant says. "The cheese mixture in this is sort of in honor of my heritage, cheddar for being English, and Gruyere for having grown up in Switzerland!" So yes, you can bet that we're not skimping on the cheesiness with this recipe. If you love light, savory, cheesy dishes, then you're in for a real treat with this soufflé.
Gather the Ingredients for cheese soufflé
Once you are ready to get started, gather all your ingredients. You will need unsalted butter, flour, whole milk, salt, pepper, Dijon mustard, both egg yolks and whites (separated), cream of tartar, Gruyère cheese, and cheddar cheese.
Melt the butter and whisk in flour
Since you will need to use an oven for this recipe, go ahead and preheat it to 375 F. While the oven warms up, liberally grease six ramekins with unsalted butter.
In a medium-sized saucepan, toss in the butter and let it melt. Once melted, add the flour to the pan and whisk it with butter. Continue whisking until the butter and flour form a paste.
Add the milk to make a roux
Pour the milk slowly into a saucepan and whisk quickly to incorporate with the other ingredients. Once you add the milk, it should make a roux and thicken quickly. It's crucial to keep the paste moving until all the milk is incorporated and the roux has a silky and smooth consistency.
Add Dijon mustard and egg yolks
Remove the roux from the pan and pour it into a clean bowl. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, and then add the Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper to the bowl.
Mix the egg yolks into the roux, one at a time. Be sure to thoroughly mix after each addition and before adding the next one. Once finished, you can set the bowl to the side.
Whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar
Add the egg whites and cream of tartar to a large bowl. Use a balloon whisk to beat the egg whites by hand until stiff peaks form. You'll only need to whisk for about 3 to 4 minutes. It's better to mix by hand rather than using an electric whisk since you want to make the cheese soufflé rise properly.
"This recipe has a secret process rather than a secret ingredient. It's all about whisking the egg whites by hand instead of with an electric whisk or stand mixer," Bryant shares. "The egg whites are what makes or breaks a good soufflé, so they need to be whipped to perfection and then stabilized with the cream of tartar. They also need to start off cold, fresh from the fridge. That way, you always get the perfect rise!"
Combine the egg white mixture with the roux and bake
Now, you can combine half of the egg white mixture with the roux. Then, add the Gruyere and the cheddar cheese and continue folding until thoroughly combined. Then, add the remainder of the egg whites.
Transfer the batter to the prepared ramekins and place them on the lowest shelf of the oven for about 30 to 35 minutes. Once they rise and achieve a golden brown color on top, remove them from the oven and serve immediately.
Serve your cheese soufflés
The last thing to do is dig in! Be sure to enjoy this dish when hot as it will taste better. "This would make a great stand-alone starter dish, or would be a lovely light meal with a colorful side salad," Bryant says. "It would also pair well with a light vegetable stew, but really nothing too heavy."
Any leftovers? "Soufflé is definitely best eaten super fresh, straight out of the oven. It does deflate quickly, but it is possible to store them in the fridge and reheat them, then it will become a "twice baked soufflé.'" Bryant notes. "They can also be frozen for up to a month once baked."
Cheese Soufflé Recipe
These fluffy cheese soufflés are guaranteed to impress at your next dinner party.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing ramekins
- 3 tablespoons plain flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 egg whites, cold
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2 ounces Gruyère cheese, finely grated
- 1 ounce cheddar cheese, finely grated
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F and liberally grease 6 ramekins using unsalted butter.
- In a small to medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter. Once the butter is fully melted, add the plain flour to the pan and whisk the flour into the butter until it is completely combined and has formed a paste.
- Pour the milk slowly into the saucepan, making sure to whisk fast to incorporate the milk. When the milk is added the roux will quickly thicken, so it is important to keep the paste moving and to keep adding milk so that no lumps form. Keep whisking like this until all of the milk is incorporated and the roux has a silky-smooth consistency.
- Remove the roux from the pan and put it into a clean bowl. Allow the roux to cool for a few minutes before mixing in the Dijon mustard and seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Mix the egg yolks into the roux one at a time, making sure to thoroughly mix each addition in before adding the next, then set this bowl aside.
- Place the egg whites into a large bowl and add the cream of tartar. Using a balloon whisk, beat the egg whites by hand until stiff peaks form. This should only take 3 to 4 minutes. If possible, do not use an electric whisk for this. To make the cheese soufflé rise properly requires the egg whites to be beaten to the point where they stand up in stiff peaks that do not droop, but are not over-beaten. It is almost impossible to judge this correctly using an electric mixer.
- Once the egg whites are whisked, gently fold ⅓ of the egg white mixture into the roux. Then, add the Gruyere and the cheddar cheese and fold them in until combined, before folding in the rest of the egg whites.
- Transfer the cheese soufflé batter into the prepared ramekins and place them on the lowest shelf of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes. When they have risen and are beautifully golden on top, remove them from the oven and serve immediately.