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Hi Bold Bakers!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Make our divine Savory Leek and Gruyère Soufflé and not only will your family and friends be awed, but you’ll be pretty pleased with yourself too! That’s because this restaurant-quality puffed delight is so impressive, but simple to make! And with a prep time of 30 minutes, and a bake time of under 20 minutes with some hands-off cooling in the fridge, it’s quick too!
- Kitchen magic! Soufflé has a reputation as a fussy food, but trust us, it is nothing to stress about! Our reliable recipe guarantees success. But there’s no denying it–the ethereal quality of intensely flavored but light-as-air soufflé batter puffing up in the oven is a joy-inducing delight!
- Classic, irresistible French flavor: You can’t miss with this time-tested combination. Buttery, slightly caramelized leeks, piquant Dijon, and creamy, salty, nutty Gruyère and Parmesan cheeses form savory soufflés with irresistibly crusty tops and a moist, tender centers that you’ll savor to the very last crumb!
Doesn’t cheese make anything better? Discover Bigger Bolder Baking recipes featuring all things Gruyère, Parmesan, cheddar, and mozzarella in our collection of Cheese Recipes including Perfectly Cheesy Monkey Bread, Ham and Cheese Pastry Twists, Croque Monsieur Savory Bread Pudding, and Apple, Sage, and Cheddar Scones.
Table of Contents
- What is Savory Leek and Gruyere Soufflé Recipe?
- Tools You Need
- Key Ingredients and Why
- How to Make Savory Leek and Gruyere Soufflé Recipe
- Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
- Savory Leek and Gruyere Soufflé Make Ahead & Storage Tips
- FAQs
- More Soufflé Recipes
What is Savory Leek and Gruyère Soufflé Recipe?
- Savory Leek and Gruyère Soufflé is a richly-flavored mixture of egg yolks, milk, sautéed leeks, cheeses, and Dijon mustard lightened by whipped egg whites that are gently folded into the base.
- In French, soufflé means “puff up” or “to blow.” The soufflé mixture puffs up in the oven and develops a soft interior and a crusty top.
- The first recorded soufflé is from the 1700s, made by Madame de Pompadour’s chef Vincent de la Chapelle. In 1815, celebrity chef to the nouveau riche, Marie-Antoine Carême, published his book, Le Patissier Royal Parisien, with detailed instructions on the art of soufflé. The popularity of soufflé continued to grow in Europe and America through the 20th century, and is still signifies a special meal!
Tools You Need
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Glass measuring jug
- Six (6 oz/180 ml) ramekins
- Medium saucepan
- Stand mixer (optional) or electric hand mixer
- Thin metal spoon
- Box grater
- Offset spatula
- Baking sheet
Make it Bolder!
For a different flavor, you can also replace the Gruyère with sharp cheddar, switch the leeks out for sautéed scallions, or add a tablespoon or two of minced fresh herbs, like thyme, sage, parsley or chives.
Key Ingredients and Why
Butter
- Butter adds rich flavor, lush texture, moisture to the soufflé.
- Importantly, butter creates steam when baking, which aids in the soufflé’s rise.
- Using room-temperature butter makes it easier to incorporate it into the soufflé mixture, making the batter uniform, which contributes to a good rise.
Leeks
- Leeks give a mild onion, and slightly sweet flavor to the soufflé. It complements the cheeses without overpowering them.
- Use only the white and palest green parts of the leek.
- Leeks often contain a lot of dirt, so be sure to pull apart the layers and wash thoroughly before using.
Parmesan cheese, grated
- Parmesan cheese adds a pleasantly sharp, delicously salty flavor to the soufflé.
- This dry, and aged cheese that originated in Parma, Italy varies in quality. You’ll get the best flavor if you buy an imported block and grate it yourself. Pre-grated cheese sold in tubs tastes nothing like it does fresh from the block and often manufacturers use a low-quality cheese for these tubs.
Gruyère
- Gruyère gives the soufflé a unique rich, nutty flavor.
- This cheese is a semi-hard, aged Swiss cheese from the Fribourg region of Switzerland. The farmers of the region follow strict laws for growing particular varieties of grasses for the cows to graze, therefore producing milk that has a flavor that can’t be replicated anywhere else.
All-purpose flour
- Flour thickens the base so the soufflé structure stays cohesive during the rise.
Whole milk
- The fat in whole milk gives the soufflé mixture moisture and a velvety texture.
Dijon mustard
- Dijon mustard gives a flavorful, sharp tangy, spicy flavor to the soufflé.
- Its robust flavor balances the richness of the cheeses, butter, and eggs.
Eggs
- Egg yolks
- Yolks provide fat to baked goods which aids in flavor and texture.
- Additionally, the yolks emulsify the ingredients in the soufflé mixture, making a smooth and stable batter.
- Egg whites
- The protein in egg whites provide structure to the soufflé. The whipped whites provide the rise when the trapped air expands while baking.
- Always use room-temperature egg whites as they whip up better than cold whites.
Cream of tartar
- Although a very tiny amount of cream of tartar is needed, its role is of utmost importance! It helps loosen the proteins of the egg whites which allows them to whip up faster and with more volume.
- Cream of tartar is the powdered form of tartaric acid, which is a byproduct of the winemaking process.
- Cream of tartar creates elasticity in the bubbles of the whipped whites. This makes the foam stronger and less brittle. The bubbles will stretch instead of pop, which keeps the whites from deflating when they are being folded into the yolks.
How to Make Savory Leek and Gruyère Soufflé
Making the Soufflé Base
- Prepare the ramekins: Grease ramekins with butter and coat them with grated Parmesan cheese. Place them in the refrigerator.
- Start the soufflé base: In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter and gently sauté sliced leeks for two to three minutes without coloring.
- Whisk in flour to form a paste. Cook and stir for one minute. Whisking constantly, add milk in a thin, steady stream until the mixture is smooth and lump-free.
- Finish the soufflé base: Cook gently for 1 to 2 minutes until thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and Dijon mustard. Transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly.
- Chill the mixture: Whisk in egg yolks one at a time until blended. When thoroughly cooled, cover and refrigerate for up to two days.
Baking the Soufflé
- Prepare to bake: Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Make sure the oven rack is low enough to give the soufflé room to rise.
- Beat the egg whites: In the bowl of a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-low speed for two minutes until foaming.
- Turn up the speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form, about four minutes.
- Fold in the egg whites and Gruyère: Using a metal spoon, fold one-third of the egg whites to the base and fold in to loosen the mixture.
- Add the remaining whites and fold until combined. Fold in the gruyère cheese.
- Remove the ramekins from the fridge and fill evenly with soufflé batter. Gently smooth and level the tops with an offset spatula.
- Bake the soufflés: Transfer the soufflés to the oven and bake for 18 to 10 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Take care not to overbake. Serve immediately
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
- Underbake your soufflé a bit instead of overbaking! An overbaked soufflé can end up hollow and dry on the inside, whereas the perfect timing gives you a soft, gooey, cheesy center. My sweet spot for baking was 18 to 20 minutes. What I like to do to figure this out is to bake off just one of the soufflés by itself and see how long it takes in my oven to cook to the point where it still has a lovely, soft center.
- Soufflés are best served immediately out of the oven as they will fall within minutes. Having your table set, all of the other elements of the meal ready, and your guests assembled before you put the soufflés in the oven is the best way to guarantee that the soufflés will still be puffed. But also remember that a fallen soufflé may not look as pretty but is still delicious and airy and perfectly fine to serve.
- Instead of individual soufflés, you can make one big one if you have a large (about 9-inch) soufflé dish (a round baking dish with tall, straight sides).
- Here’s a smart way to have egg whites on hand, especially if you’ve made a recipe with only yolks and you don’t know what to do with the whites: Unwhipped egg whites can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. For measuring out defrosted egg whites, a large egg white weighs roughly 30 to 40 grams.
Savory Leek and Gruyere Soufflé Make Ahead & Storage Tips
- Make the soufflé base ahead.
- Soufflés are best served immediately after baking, but you can save time on serving day by preparing the soufflé base up to two days ahead of time and refrigerating it.
- The egg whites can be measured out and the Gruyère grated and held in the refrigerator for the same amount of time.
- How to store leftovers:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
- Reheat in the microwave or in the oven at 350°F (180°C) for 15 minutes.
FAQs
- Help! My soufflé batter is lumpy.
- You may have added the milk too quickly.
- It is best to add the milk into the roux a little at a time or in a very thin stream, whisking as you go to ensure that it is evenly mixed. If needed, use a sieve to remove any lumps.
- Why aren’t my eggs whipping to stiff peaks?
- It may be that the egg whites were too cold or that there was some grease in the bowl or on the whisk.
- Try again with fresh egg whites, making sure that they are at room temperature and that your beating equipment is perfectly clean and dry before starting.
- Also, don’t forget to add the cream of tartar! It helps to stabilize, and therefore thicken the whites.
- My soufflé fell! What did I do wrong?
- First off, don’t worry! All soufflés fall eventually, that’s the nature of soufflés, but they will taste just as good!
- Serve them anyway. If you have some on hand, sprinkle the tops with some finely minced parsley to make them pretty!
- If you want to avoid an early collapse next time, be careful not to over-bake. It can dry out the soufflé, which will make it less stable.
More Soufflé and Popover Recipes
- Potato and Rosemary Soufflé
- Sweet Potato Soufflé
- Easy Sourdough Popovers
- Chocolate Soufflé
- Easy Soufflé Pancake
Try These Recipes!
Savory Leek and Gruyere Soufflé Recipe
Craft our Savory Leek and Gruyère Soufflé that's light, fluffy, and packed with flavor. Impress your guests with this easy and elegant dish.
Servings: 6 souffles
Craft our Savory Leek and Gruyère Soufflé that's light, fluffy, and packed with flavor. Impress your guests with this easy and elegant dish.
Servings: 6 souffles
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon (½ oz/14g) plus 3 tablespoons (1 ½ oz/43 g) butter, room temperature
- 1 small leek stalk, washed and thinly sliced (about 1 ¼ cups/4 oz/115 g)
- 6 tablespoons (1 oz/28 g) grated parmesan cheese
- 3 ½ tablespoons (1 oz/30 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (8 fl oz/240 ml) whole milk
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 ½ cups (3 oz/85 g) grated Gruyère
Instructions
Making the Soufflé Base
- Grease six (6 oz) ramekins with 1 tablespoon (½ oz/14g) of butter. Add some grated parmesan to the dishes, rotating ramekins all around so cheese sticks to every part of the buttered surface. Tap out any excess before transferring the prepared ramekins to the refrigerator until ready to use.
- In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons (1 ½ oz/43 g) butter over medium low heat. Add the thinly sliced leeks and gently saute for 2 to 3 minutes without coloring.
- Add flour and whisk to form a paste. Continue to cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Whisking constantly, add milk in a thin, steady stream, whisking thoroughly and getting into the sides of the pan to maintain a lump-free texture.
- Cook gently until the sauce is thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper and the Dijon mustard. Transfer béchamel sauce to a large bowl and allow to cool slightly.
- Whisk in egg yolks one at a time until thoroughly blended. When the base is cool, cover and place it in the fridge until needed. Note: This soufflé base can be made up to 2 days in advance and held in the fridge.
Baking the Souffle
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC). Make sure there is room for your soufflés to bake as they rise up high in the oven.
- In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or using an electric hand mixer, combine egg whites with cream of tartar and whisk on medium low speed for 2 minutes, until foaming.
- Turn up the speed to high and whisk until stiff peaks form, around 4 minutes.
- Using a metal spoon, add ⅓ of the egg whites to the béchamel base and fold in to loosen the mixture.
- Add in the remaining whites and fold until whites are combined. Lastly, fold in the Gruyère.
- Remove the soufflé ramekins from the refrigerator and set on a baking sheet. Scoop soufflé batter into the prepared baking ramekins, filling it up to the top. Using an offset spatula, gently smooth and level surface of the soufflé batter.
- Transfer soufflé to the oven and bake until well risen and nicely browned on top, 18 to 20 minutes. Note: take care not to over bake, you want an oozy, almost gooey cheesy center.
- Immediately transfer soufflés to the table and serve hot from the oven.
Trying to pin the recipe but unable to due to this image broken message on every choice offer
These soufflés look delicious. How do you get it done in the air fryer?