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Cheese soufflé is one of the most famous classics of French cuisine. Don’t be intimidated, it is actually a pretty easy recipe to make, with a definite big wow factor! Fluffy melted aged cheese delicacy, this savory Soufflé is as light as a feather and as satisfying as any melted cheese recipe is. Its airy texture and complex aromas can be paired with both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
A few details about the Lightest Cheese Soufflé
- Cheese: I used matured Cantal cheese for this recipe, from my home region of Auvergne, France. However, this recipe is very versatile and Cantal can be replaced by any aged hard cheese such as aged Gruyère, aged Emmental or aged Cheddar.
- Milk: I recommend using whole milk for an optimum result.
- Eggs: I always use fresh free-range eggs!
- Unsalted butter: generously greasing the soufflé baking dish with butter will help the soufflé rise and develop nicely.
Traditional Soufflé Baking Dish
🍷Wine Pairing for Cheese Soufflé
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Chardonnay or Pinot Noir!
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The light texture of the soufflé combined with the complexity of the aged cheese makes this recipe the perfect pairing for a Pinot Noir or a Chardonnay-based wine.
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Recipe
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The Lightest Cheese Soufflé
Fluffy cheesy delicacy, this savory Soufflé is as light as a feather and as satisfying as any melted cheese recipe is. Its airy texture and complex aromas can be paired with both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
¼ cup (70 g) of butter
½ cup (50 g) of all-purpose flour
2 cups (500 ml) of whole milk
½ teaspoon of sea salt
⅛ teaspoon of white pepper
1 and ½ cups (160 g) of aged Cantal cheese, grated
4 free-range eggs
½ tablespoon (7 g) of room temperature soft butter, to grease the Soufflé baking dish
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
Start by making a white sauce:
- In a saucepan, melt the butter over high heat.
- When the butter is bubbling nicely, add the flour all at once and stir energetically with a whisk.
- Lower the heat to medium intensity.
- Add 1/3 of the milk and stir.
- Add another 1/3 of the milk and keep stirring.
- Add the rest of the milk and stir for 7 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Add the salt and white pepper.
- Remove the pot from the heat and incorporate the grated Cantal into the béchamel.
- Let it cool down for 5 minutes.
Make the soufflé batter:
- In the meantime, crack the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks.
- Beat the egg whites until they are fluffy and form peaks.
- Add the yolks to the béchamel and stir until well combined.
- With a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the batter without overworking the batter.
Bake the soufflé:
- With a brush or your fingers, grease the mold with soft butter. Start from the center of the mold and brush all the way up to the edges.
- Pour the batter into the mold and bake for 30 minutes until golden and super risen.
- Serve right away and don’t be disappointed if your Soufflé deflates within minutes, that’s part of the experience!
- Enjoy with a glass of your favorite Pinot Noir or Chardonnay!
NIM KEYS
- The soufflé will deflate quickly and this is 100% normal! The word “Soufflé” means inflated in French. By definition, it will only stay risen for a few minutes before deflating. This is part of the game!
- The use of a traditional Soufflé Baking Dish is optional, any round mold with high edges would do.
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Oven Baked
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegetarian
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 578
- Sugar: 0.6 g
- Fat: 48.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.7 g
- Protein: 21.7 g
- Cholesterol: 238.1 mg
Keywords: soufflé, savory soufflé, cheese soufflé, French soufflé