French cheese soup - step-by-step recipes

Features of the dish

Cheese soup, a classic French recipe appreciated by true gourmets and connoisseurs of the noble fermented milk product, differs from analogues of first courses with this component in its predominant monotaste, which is only slightly shaded by the spicy notes of the spices used and the addition of dry white wine.

Various varieties with good melting power can be taken as the main ingredient:

• Camembert;
• Cheddar;
• Dutch;
• Gorgonzola;
• Stilton.

Various types of processed cheese are also often used, which have proven themselves in instant recipes. For the liquid base in the recipe, boiling water, meat, chicken, vegetable or mushroom broth, cream or milk can be used. To serve the finished dish, wheat croutons or garlic croutons are often used, which are poured over the ready-made thick creamy soup.

Story

Cheese soup, a classic French recipe that dates back more than a hundred years, was first mentioned in culinary sources at the end of the 19th century. The exact origin of this popular dish has not been established. Several nations are fighting for the right to be called the historical homeland of a culinary masterpiece. The French are challenging the primacy of the Swiss, who are considered the inventors of processed cheese.

According to various culinary studies, the recipe for this soup arose as a result of the need to thicken vegetable broth, for which shredded cheese was used, melted under high temperature to a uniform, delicate consistency with a pleasant taste and aroma. The chefs liked the result so much that they began to select the most suitable ingredients for this original dish.

The invention of processed cheese by the Swiss in 1911 made a real revolution in the preparation of this quick, tasty and satisfying first course, which today is included in the menu of most restaurants around the world, and simple recipes for a tasty and satisfying dish are actively used by housewives.

Reasons for popularity

Cheese soup, a classic French recipe that can be tried today in many restaurants around the world, enjoys well-deserved popularity among gourmets and cooks of all nationalities due to its pleasant silky texture and soft, delicate taste. It allows you not only to enjoy the process, but also perfectly warms you up, saturates you with easily digestible proteins, calcium and phosphorus, and gives you a long feeling of fullness. There is a well-known recipe for Mexican cheese soup, published in 1893.

There are also similar signature dishes in cooking:

• Britain;
• Norway;
• Spain;
• Colombia;
• Italy;
• Finland;
• Tibet.

Czechs and Slovaks add grated cheese or pieces of feta cheese to their traditional soups. Milk fats included in cheese soup have a beneficial effect on the human body, replenishing casein reserves, which is involved in the synthesis of essential amino acids. This has a positive effect on brain function, helps build muscle tissue, and helps fight stress by reducing the level of cortisol production.

Natural cheese contains essential substances, a complex of vitamins and calcium, which has a positive effect on the condition of bone tissue, the health of hair and nails.

Calorie content, bju

The classic recipe for French cheese soup has a high energy value due to the high fat content of the natural dairy products used.

The average calorie content of a dish is about 110 kcal per 100 g of product, of which:

• 5 g allocated to proteins;
• 2 g are carbohydrates;
• 9 g comes from fats.

A small portion of cheese soup with wheat croutons will cost from 350 kcal.

Popularity in France and other countries

Thick cheese soup, due to its rich creamy texture, remains warm for a long time, so it is especially popular in winter among northern peoples and in the mountains, as it quickly warms and nourishes, saturates and restores strength for a long time. True, French chefs have an original recipe for a cold version of this soup made from 3 types of cheeses, which after preparation is specially cooled in the refrigerator.

In addition, cheese soup is very easy to prepare; it does not require a precise recipe and strict adherence to technology, but allows you to make a variety of liberties that transform the basic version. French recipes usually highlight the flavor of the cheese with dry white wine, the addition of which at various stages of cooking gives the dish a simply luxurious aroma.

Cooks add red fish to the Norwegian soup, which goes well with the delicate cheese and creamy taste of the dish.

In Germany, cheese soup is often prepared with smoked pork meat or fried bacon, which makes the dish very filling and substantial. Chinese and Japanese soup always includes seafood or shiitake mushrooms, and classic European cheeses can be replaced with tofu in some recipes. The highlight of the British soup is the aroma of smoked cheese, while the American version is made from the popular cheddar with the addition of garlic.

In Brazil, this hearty dish is prepared with corn or lentils, and in Italian recipes, in addition to Parmesan, you can often find sun-dried tomatoes or sweet bell peppers.

Soup with processed cheese, curia and broccoli

Broccoli is quite often added to soups in European cuisine, but they are increasingly gaining popularity throughout the world. The soup acquires a creamy texture, but is enriched with a more useful composition than in the classic recipe for creamy soups.

Ingredients:

• Oils - 1/2 cup
• Flour - 1 cup
• Water - 11 cups
• Chicken broth - 3 cups
• Chicken breast – 400 g
• Broccoli - 2 heads
• Salt – 1.5 teaspoon
• Black pepper - 1 teaspoon
• Cheese – 250 g
• Shredded Cheddar cheese - 3 cups

Preparation:

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Combine butter and flour, stirring constantly until a thick paste forms.

In a large saucepan, combine water, broth, shredded chicken, broccoli florets, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 45 minutes.

Stir the soup into the flour mixture until it thickens. Cook for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and stir in melted cheese. Add hard cheese and mix.

Classic recipe

Cheese soup (classic recipe) is a French delicacy, characterized by a light and delicate structure, implying a minimal set of ingredients and spices that do not interrupt the taste of the main component, but exquisitely highlight and complement it.

Composition of ingredients

The taste of the finished cheese soup depends entirely on the chosen variety. To prepare this dish, it is recommended to use a hard type of cheese with an islandy taste and a pronounced aroma.

You can also use special processed cheeses for soup.

Classic French cheese soup - recipe.

It is not advisable to prepare cheese soup for future use, so all ingredients are indicated in small proportions:

• 150 g cheese;
• 1 liter of chicken, mushroom or vegetable broth;
• 130 ml white grape wine;
• 2-3 raw chicken egg yolks;
• 50 g of high-quality butter with a fat content of at least 80%;
• 50 ml of natural thick sour cream;
• 50 g wheat flour;
• 1-2 cloves of garlic;
• 2 pinches of salt;
• 1 pinch of nutmeg;
• 2-3 pinches of white and black freshly ground pepper;
• 1 bunch of fresh parsley.

To serve, you will also need to make French baguette croutons with garlic butter.

Step-by-step cooking process

First you need to cook the broth. You can do this in advance, then put it in the refrigerator or even freeze it, and reheat it on the stove just before cooking.

Further:

1. Now you need to heat the butter in a small saucepan, stirring constantly, add and fry the sifted flour until lightly caramelized.
2. After this, you need to carefully dilute the fried flour with a small amount of hot broth, rubbing the components until smooth to prevent the formation of clots and lumps.
3. Then pour in all the remaining broth, add spices and wine, reduce heat and bring the liquid to a low boil.
4. In the meantime, you need to cut the baguette into thin slices, spread each with prepared garlic butter or dip in olive oil, bake in a preheated oven for 5-7 minutes, and then rub the croutons with garlic on both sides.
5. Now you should pour 1 ladle of hot broth into a separate bowl, add grated cheese and scrambled egg yolks with sour cream to form a homogeneous mass, which then needs to be poured into a pan with the broth and heated over low heat until completely dissolved, without bringing the liquid to a boil.
6. You need to add chopped parsley to the hot thick soup.

7. Let stand for about 10 minutes and then serve.

What can I add?

You can replace part of the broth with low-fat cream, adding it at the end of cooking along with cheese, which will give the soup a more pronounced aroma and a delicate velvety structure.

The baguette for croutons can be cut into shapes with a sharp knife or a special mold, and before baking, sprinkle with a small amount of a mixture of ground paprika, pepper and salt.

How to serve a dish

Serve cheese soup with warm croutons immediately after cooking, garnishing each serving with a delicate sprig of fresh herbs.

French cheese soup with chicken

Make French Chicken Cheese Soup for lunch! It's as simple as it is elegant. The delicate consistency of the soup, cheesy taste and aroma will not leave anyone indifferent, believe me. The ingredients used are the simplest, and if you serve the soup with toasted croutons or croutons, it will be simply irresistible!

Ingredients:

• Chicken - 300 g;
• Potatoes - 100 g;
• Carrots - 60 g;
• Onions - 30 g;
• Processed cheese - 100 g;
• Butter - 25 g;
• Black peppercorns - 6 pcs.;
• Bay leaf - 2 pcs.;
• Salt - to taste;
• Water - 1.5 l.

Step-by-step recipe with photos:

Pour water over the chicken, bring to a boil, skim off the foam and immediately add bay leaf and peppercorns. Cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables: cut the potatoes into cubes, and the carrots and onions into smaller pieces.

Add potatoes to the soup and cook until soft.

Prepare vegetable dressing from stewed carrots and onions using butter.

When the potatoes are almost ready, add the dressing to the soup. Bring to a boil.

Now add creamy melted cheese to the soup.

Heat the soup until the cheese is completely dissolved.

Serve the soup with toasted croutons and fresh herbs.

French cheese soup with chicken is ready! Have a good lunch!

Useful tips

To prepare this dish, you should not use refractory types of cheese, which do not dissolve until smooth in the broth, so they can spoil the appearance and taste of the dish. It is also necessary to carefully study the composition of the product, which should not contain milk fat substitutes. It is worth considering that the fattier the selected type of cheese, the tastier and richer the finished dish will be.

It is necessary to take high-quality natural dairy products without vegetable fats. This especially applies to popular processed cheeses, which are very convenient to use, as they easily dissolve at elevated temperatures. There are special cheeses for soup, but you can choose high-quality paste or slice types with high fat content without chemical additives.

In order for the cheese to spread well in the soup, it is recommended to cook a small amount in a suitable pan, then it is convenient to stir all the ingredients until a homogeneous consistency. You can be on the safe side by diluting the cheese in warm cream in a separate bowl, and then pouring the dissolved mass into the total volume of the broth. It is necessary to carefully add various strong spices and seasonings to the dish , as they can interrupt the natural taste and aroma of the cheese.

The right cheese soup should have a pronounced creamy taste, which will be emphasized by a small amount of ground pepper, nutmeg or cardamom. When boiling chicken or turkey, you can add a bouquet of spices, allspice, parsley and celery root, and bay leaf to the water. You can experiment with adding chopped fresh ginger root, which will add sharpness, piquancy and a subtle spicy aroma to the dish.

It is appropriate to add a pinch of rosemary to fish compositions, and the mushroom flavor can be enhanced with a sprig of fresh or dried thyme. The recipe for the broth used can be anything. It is also possible to prepare soup using plain water or vegetable broth. For a more delicate, velvety texture of the soup, you can completely replace the broth with milk or add heavy cream at the last stage of cooking the soup.

You can add ground sweet paprika, turmeric and lemon zest to any cheese soup with vegetables. The scent of garlic and basil complements the delicate cheese notes well. To give the dish a specific cheese crust, it must be baked in the oven. This can be done not only in a saucepan or ceramic pot, but also in a whole loaf of bread.

It is not recommended to reheat cheese soup after cooking, as this reduces its taste and disrupts the delicate, uniform texture of the dish. All recipes can be prepared not only on the stove, but also in a slow cooker, which allows you to use the heating function, which will prevent the dish from burning.

Cheese soup does not have to be creamy. You can cut all the components and multi-colored vegetables into the same size into strips or cubes, which will give the dish an unusual texture and additional beauty. This dish does not need to be decorated with croutons and crackers, but served with soft, warm bread.

To prepare puree soup, it is not recommended to take many different colored ingredients, since after chopping the finished dish will have an indistinct and unappetizing appearance. As a vegetable base, it is advisable to use starchy varieties of potatoes that boil well. This will add a rich, velvety texture to the broth and also make the dish tender, light and satisfying.

Greens should be added at the very end of cooking the soup, after all the components have separated and become friends with each other. In portioned bowls of pureed soup, you can add large pieces of chicken, slices of mushrooms or whole shrimp for additional decoration.

Creamy cream cheese soup with chicken

A simple and homemade recipe for cheese soup, which is relevant in home cooking in the post-Soviet space.

Ingredients:

• Chicken fillet – 600 g
• Cheese – 200 g
• Potatoes – 500 g
• Onions – 1 pc.
• Carrots – 1 pc.
• Butter – 40 g
• Greens – 1 bunch
• Salt, pepper, spices, bay leaf

Preparation:

Boil the fillet and make broth. To do this, add all the spices to the boiling water with curia and bring to a boil.

Peel the carrots and grate on a fine grater.

Cut potatoes and onions into small cubes. Cut the cheese into cubes.

Fry onions and carrots in hot butter. Add to broth.

Cut the chicken fillet into cubes and add back to the soup.

Add potatoes to boiling broth.

Once the soup comes to a boil, add the cheese cubes and stir until the cheese melts. Garnish with chopped herbs before serving.

Can I use it in the PP menu or on a diet?

Subject to certain conditions and preparation features, this soup can be included in the diet of those losing weight:

1. Low-calorie cheese soup should be prepared from natural varieties of cheese with a fat content of no more than 25%.
2. A lighter dish will be made with vegetable or mushroom broth.
3. It is also worth reducing the amount of butter, eliminating cream from the recipe, and sour cream can be replaced with low-fat natural yogurt.
4. Adding cauliflower, zucchini, broccoli, champignons, seafood or chicken to cheese soup will make the dish more satisfying and healthy, but will significantly reduce its calorie content.
5. You can add shallots or the white part of wheatgrass to the dish, which will add additional sweetness to the finished product.
6. Vegetables should be stewed in water with a little olive oil and spices, and not fried in a frying pan.
7. Don't overuse too much salt. It can be partially replaced by adding dry herbs and spices.
8. The flour in the recipe can be replaced with boiled potatoes, which after cooking should be mashed in the broth until smooth.
9. The soup can be given a velvety texture by using celery root, which must be boiled and then pureed in an immersion blender with a small amount of low-fat milk. This low-calorie component also adds a pleasant sweetness to the dish.

10. You should not serve cheese diet soup with wheat croutons, as this significantly increases the overall calorie content of the meal. Instead, you can decorate the dish with rye bran or serve crispy diet bread to the table.

Eating a portion of such a dietary dish 2-3 times a month will not harm your figure, but will only bring benefits due to the supply of a large amount of nutrients and positive emotions. After all, delicious cheese soup contains many vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, fatty acids and easily digestible protein.

Soup with cheese, chicken and fresh champignons

One of the most successful variations of cheese soup. The dish has a subtle creamy mushroom flavor and a light poultry aroma.

For preparation you will need the following ingredients:

• chicken thighs – 4 pcs.;
• mushrooms (it is better to use royal champignons) – 8 pcs.;
• processed cheese – 2-3 packs;
• large potatoes – 4 pcs.;
• onions – 1-2 pcs.;
• carrots – 1 pc.;
• salt - to taste;
• oil – 1 tbsp;
• bay leaf – 1 pc.;
• pepper and other spices - to taste.

How to make cream cheese soup with aromatic chicken (step-by-step recipe):

Prepare a delicious broth. To do this, the chicken should be boiled until tender. The whole process will take about 25-35 minutes. When the bird is ready, remove it and leave it on a plate to cool.

Remove bones from chicken. Cut the meat.

Peel the onion and chop finely.

Grate the carrots (cut into strips).

Make a fry. Fry the onion and chopped carrots a little in oil until golden brown.

Wash the mushrooms. Cut into thin slices. Lightly fry to evaporate excess moisture.

Peel the potatoes. Chop into cubes.

Add salt, pepper, frying, potatoes, meat, mushrooms to the water. Cook over low heat.

Coarsely grate the cheeses. You can cut some of it into cubes, then the product will not dissolve completely, and small pieces of cheese will appear. This will make the dish taste more interesting. Place in broth. Mix well.

Cook the soup for another 5-10 minutes. The exact time depends on the degree of readiness of the potatoes.

Add bay leaf and remove from heat. Let it brew for about half an hour. Serve to the table.

Similar soups

You can often find recipes for cheese soup with chicken, potatoes and fried onions, which is cooked in rich chicken broth, sometimes with the addition of fried carrots, which gives the dish additional sweetness. Chicken meat can also be replaced with diet turkey or higher-calorie bacon and aromatic smoked meats.

Cream soup with champignons or chanterelles, cooked in mushroom broth, can also be called a classic version of a cheese delicacy. A very healthy, bright and aromatic dish is made with the addition of spinach, which can be chopped together with cheese to a creamy texture, and served with a boiled egg. Small meatballs made from minced meat will make the first dish more satisfying.

You can often find simple dietary recipes for vegetable cheese soup with broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, and green beans. You can use different combinations of vegetables.

The Thai version of spicy creamy cheese soup with the addition of rice and shrimp has proven itself well. You can also add any seafood, as well as fatty red fish, to the basic classic recipe. When serving this soup, you can add a slice of fresh lemon and a sprig of dill to the plate. Delicious aromatic additions in the form of smoked sausages with fried onions will decorate any basic first course recipe and make it especially satisfying.

Garlic-flavored croutons in this version can be replaced with any wheat or rye crackers and toast. If desired, you can add homemade noodles or curly pasta to the cheese soup. Additional benefits and satiety will be provided by the addition of legumes to the recipe, which, with long cooking, will acquire the softness necessary for puree.

A tasty and healthy addition to the soup will be peeled pine nuts, which can be used to decorate each serving along with herbs when serving. The classic recipe for French cheese soup can be easily modified and supplemented with any ingredients to suit your own taste.

Enchilada soup with melted cheese and chicken

This delicious Chicken Enchilada Soup is thick, cheesy, and ready to serve as soon as it's ready in just 20 minutes.

Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons
• White onion (chopped) - 1 cup
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Corn flour - 1/2 cup
• Chicken broth - 3 cups
• Shredded boiled chicken - 2 cups
• Red Enchilada Sauce (homemade or store bought) – 1.5 cups
• Black beans – 400 g
• Tomatoes – 300 g
• Green chilies – 300 g
• Ground cumin - 1/2 teaspoon
• Sharp Cheddar cheese – 300 g
• Salt - 1 teaspoon

For decoration:

• Chips or tortilla strips, diced - optional
• Sliced ​​avocado - optional
• Grated cheese - optional
• Sour cream - optional
• Cilantro - optional

Preparation:

Heat a large amount of oil over medium heat. (To save time, peel and chop the onion for a minute or so that the oil heats up).

Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until tender and translucent. Pour in half the chicken broth and stir. Add the rest of the chicken broth and stir again. Immediately add sauce, black beans, tomatoes, green chilies, salt and cumin. Continue stirring occasionally until the mixture reaches a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and let the soup simmer for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the soup from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Then add the cheese, one handful at a time, until melted. Season the soup to taste with salt.

Serve soup with garnish ingredients.