This delicious white cheddar cheese soup with apples is sure to warm your soul!
Easy to make and full of wholesome ingredients, it all comes together in one pot and requires minimal prep time.
I hope you’re still loving apples as much as I am this season. I’m still creating ways to use our bounty from our afternoon of apple picking last weekend.
Cheese and apples are one of my favorite combinations, so I used a couple of my favorite cheeses, soup basics and voila! A fabulous and easy apple and cheese soup! Our family ate every last drop of it!
This recipe takes slightly longer than most of mine, but it’s not all hands on time. It is really easy… and did I mention, cheesy? Mmm!
Every last drop of this soup is so rich and flavorful, it’s perfect to enjoy as the weather starts to get cooler. If you are looking for more cozy soups, be sure to try my Easy Minestrone Soup, Bacon and Cheese Soup and Easy Tomato Soup.
Why You’ll Love this Cheese Soup
- Easy to Make
- Savory with a touch of Sweet
- Great for Fall
- Easy to make Vegetarian
Apple and Cheese Soup Ingredients
- Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter in this recipe. Just taste the soup and adjust the seasoning as required
- Red Onion – Red onion has a milder flavor than white onion and adds a great flavor to this soup. You can easily substitute this for a red onion.
- Apples – I like to use tart and crisp apples like Granny Smith for the boldest flavor. Golden Delicious or Fuji would also work well.
- Flour – Use an all-purpose flour to help thicken the soup. If you are gluten-free you can use a 1:1 GF flour.
- Chicken Broth – I prefer to use a broth for the liquid rather than water as it adds more flavor to the finished coup. If you want to make this soup vegetarian, you can use a vegetable stock.
- Milk – Milk adds a wonderfully creaminess to this recipe. I like to use a 2% milk which isn’t too thick.
- White Cheddar – White cheddar has more sharpness in flavor compared to yellow cheddar and it works wonderfully with the tart Granny Smith apples.
- Gruyere – Gruyere is a hard Swiss cheese and it has a creamy and nutty flavor. Adding this other cheese gives another level of flavor.
- Salt and Pepper – Season the soup to taste. Try a little before serving and adjust it as needed.
- Bacon Pieces – I like to finish this soup with some crumbled bacon pieces. If you are vegetarian, you can of course skip this. I love the smoky flavor it lends to the soup.
Variations
- If you’d like a little kick, just add a hint of red pepper!
- Sub the apples for pears for another fall-inspired flavor combo.
- You can substitute the cheeses with your favorites!
How To Make this Apple and White Cheddar Cheese Soup
- Prep – Peel and core the apples and chop the onion. Heat the butter in a pot on the stovetop.
- Combine – Add the onions, then the apples and cook til soft. Add the flour and then the stock and bring to the boil.
- Finish – Add the milk and stir in the cheeses until melted. Serve with bacon pieces.
Tips
- This soup is fairly smooth with a few small chunks of apple in it. I love the texture and freshness of the apple, but if you want a silky smooth soup, at the end of cooking, you can use an immersion blender to blend in the apple.
- You can also use a stand blender to blend it in batches, just take care as it will be very hot.
- Use your favorite type of apples – any kind will work for this recipe to add a layer of tart sweetness.
- Always freshly grate your cheeses for the creamiest cheese soups.
Halving, doubling or tripling a recipe? Use this free printable Measurement Conversion Chart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Use a heavy bottomed pot or a Dutch oven when you make this cheese soup. A pan with a thicker bottom will help to distribute the heat more evenly so that you don’t get hot spots which can scorch the bottom of the soup.
When you’re using cheese for a soup recipe, you’ll want to choose one that is full of moisture with a low melting point. Some good examples to consider are white cheddar, fontina, Monterey Jack, Gruyere and Swiss.
How to Store
Soups are perfect for make ahead and freezer meals!
- Room Temperature – Don’t let this soup sit out at room temperature for more than two hours.
- Refrigerate – Let the soup cool to room temperature and store it in an airtight container. It will keep well for up to 5 days.
- Freeze – Place the cooled soup in freezer bags or containers and it will keep well for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen soup in the fridge the night before serving.
Reheat the soup gently on the stovetop or in the microwave to serve.
More Cheesy Dinner Inspiration
Apple and Cheese Soup
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons butter salted
- ½ red onion chopped (one cup)
- 2 medium apples peeled, cored and diced (approximately 2 cups)
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup milk whole or 2%
- 1 ¼ cups white cheddar shredded
- 1 cup gruyere shredded
- fresh cracked salt and pepper to taste
- 2 ounces bacon pieces
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or pot, melt butter over medium low heat. Add onions and sauté 10 minutes or until tender.
- Add apples and sauté 10 minutes.
- Gradually add flour. Cook 5 minutes, while stirring occasionally.
- Whisk in broth. Increase heat to medium high to bring to a boil. Then, reduce to medium low heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add milk, bring to a boil and add cheeses. Stir until melted.
- Garnish with bacon pieces, salt and pepper to taste.
Julie’s Tips
- This soup is fairly smooth with a few small chunks of apple in it. I love the texture and freshness of the apple, but if you want a silky smooth soup, at the end of cooking, you can use an immersion blender to blend in the apple.
- You can also use a stand blender to blend it in batches, just take care as it will be very hot.
- Use your favorite type of apples – any kind will work for this recipe to add a layer of tart sweetness.
- Always freshly grate your cheeses for the creamiest cheese soups.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Love apples and cheese together! This soup looks awesome!
Thanks, friend! Have a beautiful day!
Delicious! Very rich, as all cheese soups are..a nice change from the beer cheese soup that I usually make.
This was uh-mazing! Oh my gosh I want to eat it every day!!!
Thanks for sharing, Kelly! I made a double batch to freeze! It’s such a happy soup!
This looks wonderful! Did you serve it as a main dish? What did you pair it with? Thanks 🙂
I served it as a main dish. It’s very filling!
Awesome, thank you so much! Your dishes are so adorable too 🙂 I can’t wait to try this!
Thanks, Kelly! Enjoy!
I was just telling my husband that I love the nip in the air – it’s the perfect soup weather. I can’t wait to try one with apples…sounds delicious!!
Thanks you! It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Andy Williams had it all wrong.
I have never made a soup with apples before! You definitely have got me curious to know what these apple and cheese soup tastes like. Sounds delicious and I love the little crispy bacon on top!
It’s happiness in a bowl! Enjoy, Thalia!