Delia Smith Stilton Soup Recipe

For a winter supper party, Delia Smith’s Stilton soup is a rich bowl of leek, onion and potato simmered for half an hour in dry cider and chicken stock. Milk and 110g of grated Stilton then go in at the end, along with a spoonful of double cream. Crisp cubes of bread coated in Parmesan are served with it, and the whole pot serves 4 to 6.

It appears in her Vegetarian Collection (2002), made with vegetable stock, and again a year later in The Delia Collection: Soup, which is the version on the card. That one has a bigger batch of croutons and lets you crisp them under the grill instead of in the oven.

You could mix it up with her other Stilton soups, so here’s the difference. Her Fenland celery soup with Stilton is a Christmas soup built on a whole head of celery, and her Stilton and broccoli soup is a 40-minute weekday one with no potato or flour. This is the only one of the three with cider and Parmesan croutons, and there’s no broccoli in it at all.

Delia Smith’s Stilton Soup with Parmesan Croutons

Recipe by Anne Morgan

0.0 from 0 votes

Course: SoupsCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Calories

435

kcal

Smooth or chunky as you like, with Parmesan croutons from the oven or the grill. Page 115 of her Soup collection, for 4 to 6.

Ingredients

• For the soup:

• 110g (4oz) Stilton, grated

• 50g (2oz) butter

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 1 leek, trimmed, cleaned and chopped

• 1 large potato, peeled and diced small

• 1 heaped tablespoon plain flour

• 150ml (5fl oz) dry cider

• 570ml (1 pint) chicken stock

• 275ml (10fl oz) milk

• 1 tablespoon double cream

• salt and freshly milled black pepper

• For the croutons:

• 4 dessertspoons freshly grated Parmesan

• 225g (8oz) stale bread, cut into small cubes

• 4 tablespoons groundnut or other flavourless oil

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Directions

• Soften: Melt the butter in a thick-based saucepan, add the onion, leek and potato with a little salt, then cover and cook gently for 5 to 10 minutes to draw out their juices.
• Simmer: Stir in the flour to soak up the juices and, once it’s smooth, add the cider a little at a time, still stirring. Pour in the stock, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.
• Croutons: Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas mark 4, or heat the grill. Toss the bread in a bowl with the oil until it has all been absorbed, then add the Parmesan and stir until every cube is coated. Spread them on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or grill them, turning as needed and watching closely, as they burn very easily.
• Stilton: When the 30 minutes are up, add the milk and Stilton and reheat, stirring, until the cheese has melted and the soup is just below boiling. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the cream.
• Finish: Leave the soup to cool a little, then purée it in batches in a food processor or blender, pouring the first batch into a bowl while you do the rest. If you prefer the texture of the chopped vegetables, leave it unblended. Serve with the Parmesan croutons.

Notes

• Stilton grates most easily straight from the fridge, while it's still firm, which is my own tip. Her Vegetarian Collection version simply crumbles it.

FAQs

Can I make Stilton soup ahead?

Yes. Delia says it can be made in advance, as long as you don’t let it boil when you reheat it. The croutons can be made well ahead too and kept in an airtight container.

I’d keep the soup in the fridge for a day or two, then warm it slowly, stirring, so the cheese stays smooth. That leaves only the reheating for the night itself.

Is Stilton soup vegetarian?

Not as it’s printed here, with chicken stock, but her Vegetarian Collection version uses vegetable bouillon instead. Its croutons are a much smaller batch, just 50g of bread with a tablespoon of olive oil and a dessertspoon of Parmesan, baked for 8 to 10 minutes.

Check the cheeses as well. Some Stiltons are made with vegetarian rennet and some aren’t, and traditional Parmesan uses animal rennet, so a vegetarian hard cheese is the safer choice for the croutons.

Is it a good way to use up leftover Stilton?

It is, though Delia makes the point that the soup is good enough to cook on purpose. I find the end of a Christmas Stilton ideal, as long as you have the full 110g.

I’d cut away the hard rind and any dry, darkened edges before grating what’s left. That’s my own habit, but it keeps the soup smooth and pale.

What can I use instead of the cider?

I’d use dry white wine in the same amount. In her quick French onion soup for one in One is Fun, Delia lets you use either dry white wine or dry cider, and the quantity there is the same 150ml.

For no alcohol at all, I’d use the same amount of extra stock with a squeeze of lemon, which is my own swap. Avoid sweet cider, as the recipe asks for a dry one.