How to Make a Cheese Souffle – it’s easier than you think! And the results will absolutely “wow” your guests and you’ll feel like a Michelin star chef!
Where Did the Soufflé Originate?
The soufflé has been around for 300 years, originating in France in the early 1700’s. The word soufflé is the past participle of the verb souffler which means “to breathe” or “to puff.” It was first developed by French master chef Vincent La Chapelle who was the personal chef to several members of nobility and traveled widely to to learn about other cuisines and methods of cooking. His aim was to break from long-held traditions and develop concepts of more modern cooking. Though the creation of the soufflé is attributed to him it wasn’t until a hundred years later that its popularity really took off. That attribution goes to the first celebrity chef, Marie-Antoine Carême, who dedicated several pages of his cookbook, “Le Pâtissier Royal Parisien” in 1815, to the art of making soufflés.
The soufflé took its place in French grande cuisine and has since often been portrayed as a near insurmountable fete accomplished by only the most experienced cooks. In one of my favorite old classic films, Sabrina, Audrey Hebpurn is given the challenge of preparing a soufflè while at culinary school. The teacher critiques everyone’s failed efforts by commenting they’re either “too low, too high, too heavy, [or] sloppy.” Audrey’s soufflé is just a bowl of wet mess and she says, “I don’t know what happened,” to which he explains she forgot to turn on her oven! He then comments, “Your mind has not been on the cooking, it has been elsewhere. A woman happy in love, she burns the soufflé. A woman unhappy in love, she forgets to turn on the oven.”
Many other movies and cartoons humorously portray the soufflé as a hopeless venture that only results in failure.
But that just isn’t true! Soufflès really aren’t difficult at all as long as you follow a few basic steps. Those steps are outlined here in this recipe for a classic cheese soufflè adapted from Julia Child’s famous original recipe from The Way to Cook. This cheese soufflè, whether you make one giant one or individual ones, makes a wonderful starter for dinner or a main course for lunch.
Cheese Souffle Recipe
Let’s get started!
Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
Butter four 8-ounce ramekins (or a 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish) and divide the Parmesan cheese between them, coating the bottoms and sides with the cheese. Shred the cheese and set aside.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk it continually for about 2 minutes but do not let it brown.
Pour in the hot milk, continuing to whisk until the mixture is very thick, another 2-3 minutes.
Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the salt, paprika and nutmeg.
Whisk in the egg yolks one at a time.
Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl then cover and let it cool to room temperature.
In a clean and totally dry mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-beat.
Fold one large spoonful of the egg whites into the batter. Fold in the cheese. Very gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Be careful not to overmix the mixture – leave some small lumps.
Divide the mixture between the ramekins (or in the 1 1/2 quart souffle dish), filling them 3/4 full.
Use a butter knife to smooth the tops.
Bake the cheese souffle for 20 minutes and do not open the oven during that time. Bake until golden brown, you may need to bake up to an additional 5 minutes.
The soufflés will begin to deflate a little the moment you remove them from the oven, so serve immediately!
Tip: Have your guests already seated at the table just before the cheese souffles are ready to come out of the oven so you can immediately serve them.
Enjoy!
For more delicious French recipes be sure to try our:
- ULTIMATE Beef Bourgignon
- Trout Almondine
- Braised Lamb Shanks
- French Lentil Stew
- Pork Rillettes
- Socca (Provencal Chickpea Flatbread)
- Zucchini Au Gratin
- Cherry Clafoutis
- Blackberry Clafoutis
- Pot de Creme
How To Make a Cheese Soufflé
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup warm milk
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon paprika (optional)
- small pinch of ground nutmeg
- 4 large egg yolks
- 5 large egg whites
- 1 cup shredded Gruyere cheese or other very flavorful cheese
Instructions
- Place the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Butter four 8-ounce ramekins (or a 1 1/2-quart soufflé dish) and divide the Parmesan cheese between them, coating the bottoms and sides with the cheese.
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk it continually for about 2 minutes but do not let it brown. Pour in the hot milk, continuing to whisk until the mixture is very thick, another 2-3 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the salt, paprika and nutmeg. Whisk in the egg yolks one at a time. Pour the mixture into a large mixing bowl then cover and let it cool to room temperature.
- In a clean and totally dry mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over-beat.
- Fold one large spoonful of the egg whites into the batter. Fold in the cheese. Very gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Be careful not to overmix the mixture - leave some small lumps.
- Divide the mixture between the ramekins (or in the 1 1/2 quart souffle dish), filling them 3/4 full. Use a butter knife to smooth the tops. Bake for 20 minutes and do not open the oven during that time. Bake until golden brown, you may need to bake up to an additional 5 minutes.
- The soufflés will begin to deflate a little the moment you remove them from the oven, so serve immediately!Tip: Have your guests already seated at the table just before the souffles are ready to come out of the oven so you can immediately serve them.
Adapted from The Way to Cook by Julia Child
Agness of Run Agness Run says
This side dish seems so finger-licking, Kimberly! Thanks for the detailed and inspiring recipe. What kind of milk do you use?
Sandi says
You make this look so easy!
Beth Dunlop says
This is a terrific blog–down-to-earth and yet intelligent and authoritative. I’m impressed!