Stilton and apple soup - Rich, delicious, and an easy way to impress your friends!

Now, I haven't mention this before, but I LOVE a good soup.  Maybe it's that I chew my food so many times before I swallow it, and I like to be able to just scarf stuff down.  Or maybe because there's nothing on a cold day like a nice hot, hearty bowl of soup.  Either way, soup is delicious as an appetizer or even in this case, as a main course!

A chunk of Blue Stilton cheese.

Now, the main ingredient in this recipe is a cheese called Stilton.  If you've ever bought or had generic "blue cheese", this is probably Stilton that just wasn't good enough to be given that name.  Stilton is a blue cheese with an incredible taste and wonderful, creamy, crumbly texture.  It is arguably more mild than Roquefort or Gorgonzola, which are both similar blue cheeses - but of course, like any blue cheese, it's a little pungent :)

This recipe is delicious, straightforward, and is sure to impress your friends and guests.  It's also VERY filling - not surprising once you realize how much cheese in each bowl! :)

You will need a food processor for this recipe.  You CAN use a blender, but it will be a little more difficult and harder to get the smooth texture perfected.

A bunch of chives - courtesy of 1001recipe.com

Ingredients:
3 TBSP of butter.  Use real butter for this recipe if possible, not vegetable oil.
2 TBSP flour
3 Cups of Stock - I use vegetable, but you could use chicken or beef for an even richer dish.
4 Red apples, medium sized.
2 Cups of milk - you can use low-fat or nonfat, this soup is fatty enough as it is! :)
9 Oz of Stilton cheese
2-3 TBSP of chopped chives.  The chives MUST BE FRESH, dried chives are useless.

Directions:

1) Melt the butter in a large pan, big enough to accommodate the soup obviously.

2) Sprinkle in the flour, and stir over low heat until combined, and the mixture is lightly golden.  This should take at least 2 minutes, but can take longer.  Be sure not to burn this mixture.  What you are making here is what the French call a Roux.  It is a thickener for soups and gravies and the such.  It's important to make sure the roux has browned a bit to keep that "raw flour" taste out of your dish - you don't want this :)

3) Slowly add in your vegetable stock, stirring slowly, until everything is dissolved and smooth.

4) Core, peel, and slice the apples, and all them into the pan.  This is step 4 instead of being part of the ingredients because if you do it in advance, the apples will turn brown and change flavor somewhat.

5) Cook the apples for about 20 minutes until they are tender.  If you sliced them thick, this will take longer - if you sliced them thin, less time :)  Once they are tender, remove them from the pan, and puree them in your food processor / blender, one batch at a time, until they are nice and smooth.  While not always possible, aim for no lumps.  Add as much of the liquid from the pan as needed to puree everything nicely.

6) Add the soup back into the pan, add in the 2 cups of milk and reheat on low to medium heat, stirring very often.  You do NOT want this soup to scald or or stick to the bottom of the pan.  Once the soup is at a bare simmer, start crumbling in the Stilton cheese.

7) Add in the chives.  Stir until the soup is smooth and without lumps and serve!

Red ripe apples - courtesy of deviantart.net

Congratulations!  You've made a delicious Stilton and apple soup that will blow people's minds.  It's rich, savory, sweet and oh-so delicious.  A winner every time.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and friends do.  Let me know how yours turns out! :)