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Cheddar Apple Soup Recipe

Overhead, landscape photo of a bowl of Cheddar Cheese Apple Soup garnished with pumpkin seeds and crispy bacon with a blue linen, spoons and orange flowers in a vase surrounding the bowl.
The best tested and perfected apple soup recipe with just 15 minutes of hands on prep, 9 basic ingredients, and one pot. Featuring fruity crisp apples, sharp cheddar cheese, salty bacon, sweet potatoes, and robust apple cider, this ultra-creamy five-star soup with apples is fall comfort food at it’s finest! 
Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
Author: Cheyanne Holzworth
Total Time: 50 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Equipment

  • 1 Large Soup Pot or Dutch Oven (for cooking the soup)
  • 1 Immersion Blender or High Speed Blender (for blending the soup)

Ingredients

  • 6 slices Bacon - OPTIONAL; SEE NOTES
  • 1 medium Sweet Potato – peeled and roughly small dice(about 2 heaping cups)
  • 1 medium Yellow Onion – peeled & small dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 2 whole Apples – peeled and small dice (about 3 1/4 cups) (SEE NOTES)
  • 2 Cloves Garlic – minced
  • 2 TBS All-Purpose Flour
  • 2 Cups Reduced Sodium Chicken Stock
  • 2 Cups Hard Apple Cider or Regular Cider
  • 1 scant TBS Fresh Thyme Leaves
  • 2 whole Dried Bay Leaves
  • 2 TBS Brandy
  • 1/2 Cup Heavy Cream - or more to taste
  • 12 ounces Sharp Cheddar Cheese – shredded (about 3 1/2 cups)
  • To taste Kosher Salt and Cracked Black Pepper
  • Optional Garnishes: Pumpkin Seeds, Grated Parmesan, Crispy Prosciutto or Bacon

Instructions

  • Optional - Cook the bacon: Place a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring frequently, until crispy, about 8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate and set aside. Blot or drain all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease from the pot.
  • Add the vegetables: To the same pot, add the potatoes and increase the heat to medium-high. Season with 1 tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add in the onions and apples. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, about 6-8 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is incorporated, about 2 minutes.
    (Note: If you skipped using bacon, you will need to heat 2 tablespoons of neutral oil until shimmering before adding the potatoes. SEE NOTES BELOW.)
  • Add liquids: Slowly add the stock and use the back of a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the apple cider, thyme and bay leaves. Stir well to combine. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a rapid simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally for 10-12 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove bay leaves and discard.
  • Puree: Turn the heat off under the pot and use an immersion blender to blend the soup. OR, transfer the soup in batches to high-speed stand blender and puree. Return soup to the pot when you're done blending.
  • Add brandy and cream: Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the brandy and heavy cream. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until warm throughout.
  • Add cheese: Turn the heat to low. Add the cheese in three batches - stirring constantly until the cheese is melted and smooth before adding the next batch of cheese. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.
  • To serve: Ladle soup into serving bowls and top with crispy bacon. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds and parmesan if using. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  1. Bacon: You can easily omit the bacon! Skip step 1 of the recipe. Use two tablespoons of unsalted butter or olive oil to sauté the vegetables in step 2. 
  2. Apples: I like to use a combination of apples for a more complex taste. Fiji, Gala and Golden delicious apples are my personal favorite, but use whatever apple variety you prefer. (See the post for a full list of the best apple varieties for cooking.)
  3. Prepping Apples: I prefer to peel and chop my apples in advance to save prep time later (especially at Thanksgiving). To prevent apples from turning brown mix 1 teaspoon of kosher salt with 2 cups of water and store your chopped apples in the salt water (covered and refrigerated). Before using them simply rinse and drain. You can easily double the salt water mixture if needed.
  4. Cream: I used heavy cream in this soup, but if you would like to substitute half-and-half feel free. However, your soup will be on the thinner side.
  5. Seasoning: Make sure you taste the soup and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper before serving. Complex soups require a good amount of salt to really make the flavors sing, so don’t be scared to generously salt!
Nutritional information is an estimate based upon 6 servings.  Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.

Nutrition

Calories: 597kcal    Carbohydrates: 26g    Protein: 22g    Fat: 44g    Saturated Fat: 27g    Cholesterol: 143mg    Sodium: 520mg    Potassium: 379mg    Fiber: 2g    Sugar: 17g    Vitamin A: 1530IU    Vitamin C: 6mg    Calcium: 592mg    Iron: 1.1mg
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American