Cider Cheese Soup Shooters in Mini Pretzel Bread Bowls
User Reviews
5
Cider Cheese Soup Shooters in Mini Pretzel Bread Bowls
Description
This recipe begins with homemade pretzel rolls formed into small dough balls and baked until golden. After cooling, the centers are cut out to create miniature bowls. The soup is prepared by rendering bacon until crisp, then sautéing sweet onions and garlic in the bacon fat for a tender base. Flour is added to make a roux, followed by hard cider and half-and-half to create a rich, lightly boozy broth.
Shredded sharp white cheddar and Colby-Jack cheeses are stirred in until melted, resulting in a smooth, creamy cheese soup with a mild tang from the cider. Fresh herbs like cilantro and chives add brightness as garnish. Sour cream or Greek yogurt can be dolloped atop each serving for extra creaminess.
These soup shooters are served warm in pretzel bread bowls for handheld enjoyment, making an elegant appetizer or party snack. The interplay of smoky bacon, sharp cheese, and the sweet-tart cider creates layered flavors, while the salty pretzel bowl complements the rich filling.
Using either apple or pumpkin cider allows slight variation in flavor. The pretzel rolls can be made ahead or substituted with store-bought for convenience. Monitor cooking times to ensure the cheese melts smoothly without separation.
Ingredients
- 1 pretzel rolls batch of
- 3 lices Bacon chopped, thick-cut
- 1 onion finely diced, sweet
- 2 garlic minced, cloves
- 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups hard cider apple OR pumpkin versions work! depends on the flavor you want, of your favorite
- 1 cup half and half
- 8 ounces cheddar cheese freshly grated, sharp white
- 4 ounces Colby-Jack cheese freshly grated
- herbs I like cilantro and chives for garnish, fresh
- sour cream or greek yogurt, for topping
Instructions
- Note: I made the pretzel roll recipe as noted but ended up making smaller balls before dropping them in the water bath. I made dough balls that were about 1 to 1.5 ounces in weight and slightly bigger than 1 inch in diameter. I cut 3 minutes off the bake time. Once the rolls were cool, I used a serrated knife to cut out the center and fill it with soup! The rolls take about 2 hours from start to finish and can be made the night before. You can also buy pretzel rolls and go from there!
- Note #2: I’ve made this soup now with both hard apple cider AND hard pumpkin cider! I love both. It just depends on what flavor you are looking for.
- To make the soup, heat a large pot over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook it until crispy and the fat is rendered, them remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain. Reduce the heat to low and add the onions and garlic, stirring to coat. Cook for about 10 minutes, until onions are translucent, stirring occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high and add in butter. Once it’s sizzling, whisk in the flour and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until you have a roux that is nutty and golden. Slowly stream in the cider while stirring constantly. Cook for 5 minutes so they alcohol cooks out and the mixture somewhat thickens.
- Stream in the half and half and reduce the heat to low. Gradually add in the cheese while stirring, only a few handfuls at a time until each is melted. Stir until smooth, then fold in half of the bacon. Taste the soup and season if needed – it may need a bit of salt and pepper. Spoon it into the mini pretzel rolls. Garnish with fresh chopped herbs, chives, the leftover bacon and sour cream.
Notes
- For authentic presentation, make mini pretzel rolls or buy small pretzel buns to hollow out.
- Bacon fat used for sautéing onions and garlic adds essential savory depth to the soup.
- Either hard apple or pumpkin cider can be used; choose based on preferred flavor notes.
- These soup shooters can be made ahead by preparing rolls and soup separately; reheat gently before serving.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
