Smoky Andouille Sausage Soup with Apple and Gouda
Smoky andouille, tart Granny Smith apples, roasted cauliflower, and a silky Gouda broth come together in this cozy fall soup that's rich but never heavy.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 large head cauliflower cut into small bite-sized florets, core reserved and diced
- 3-4 andouille sausage links about 21-28 oz total, halved lengthwise and sliced into half-moons
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 32 oz chicken stock
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
- 7 oz Gouda non-smoked or aged, shredded
- 3 Granny Smith apples peeled, diced, and divided
- Lemon juice to preserve the fresh apple topping
- Fresh thyme for garnish
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Roast the cauliflower. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the cauliflower florets with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread them on a metal sheet pan and roast until deeply golden, about 40 minutes.
- Brown the sausage. While the oven preheats, heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the andouille and sauté until nicely caramelized. Remove the sausage, set it aside, and turn heat down to medium.
- Build the base. Add the diced onion and diced cauliflower core to the same pot. Cook until softened and beginning to brown, about 10-15 min. Stir in the garlic, dried thyme, and smoked paprika and cook until fragrant.
- Simmer. Add the chicken stock, Dijon, and fresh thyme sprigs. Bring to a simmer, cover and let sit for about 20 min.
- Blend. Remove the thyme sprigs. Using an immersion blender or a stand blender, blend the contents of the pot until smooth. If using a stand blender, return the soup to the pot.
- Add the mix-ins. Add the roasted cauliflower, browned sausage, and 2 of the diced apples. Bring to a simmer to heat everything through and slightly soften the apples.
- Make the cheese sauce. In a small saucepan, heat the evaporated milk over medium-low. Once it's lightly steaming, add the shredded Gouda a little at a time, stirring gently until completely smooth. Keep the heat low and stir gently, since high heat and vigorous mixing will cause the cheese to clump.
- Finish with cheese. Just before serving, reduce the heat to low, just below a simmer. Slowly stir in the cheese sauce until fully combined.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve. Top each bowl with fresh thyme and the remaining diced apple.
Notes
- Keep the cheese below 140°F. This is the most important tip for this recipe. When cheese gets too hot, its proteins tighten up and squeeze out the fat, leaving you with a grainy, stringy, or oily soup instead of a silky one. Heat the evaporated milk just until it's lightly steaming, then melt in the Gouda over low heat. When it's time to add the cheese sauce to the soup, turn off the heat and let the soup rest for a few minutes so it drops below 140°F before stirring the sauce in. An instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of it.
- Stir gently and add the cheese gradually. Add the Gouda a small handful at a time, letting each addition melt before adding the next. Slow, gentle stirring keeps the sauce smooth; vigorous whisking can cause it to clump.
- Shred your own Gouda. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in anti-caking starches that keep it from melting smoothly. A block of Gouda and a box grater will give you a much silkier sauce. Letting the shredded cheese sit at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes before melting helps too.
- Use low-sodium chicken stock. Andouille and Gouda both bring plenty of salt, so starting with low-sodium stock lets you control the seasoning. Taste at the end and adjust from there.
- Give the cauliflower space. Spread the florets in a single layer with a little room between them. A crowded pan steams the cauliflower instead of roasting it, and you'll miss out on those deeply golden, nutty edges. Use two sheet pans if needed.
- Cut the florets small and even. Bite-sized, uniform florets roast at the same rate and fit nicely on a spoon.
- Dice the garnish apple last. Diced apple browns quickly, so cut the garnish portion right before serving, or toss it with a squeeze of lemon juice to keep it fresh and bright.
- Make it ahead. The soup base (everything except the cheese sauce) can be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. When you're ready to serve, warm it up, take it off the heat, let it cool slightly, and stir in a freshly made cheese sauce.
- Reheat leftovers gently. Once the cheese is in, never bring the soup back to a boil. Rewarm it over low heat, stirring often, or microwave individual bowls at reduced power in short bursts.
- Try smoked Gouda. For an extra layer of smokiness that echoes the andouille and smoked paprika, swap in smoked Gouda for some or all of the cheese.