British Onion Soup with Cider

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British onion soup with cider is a thick soup of onions, leeks, apples and potatoes, finished with Gruyère and fresh thyme. Dry hard cider gives it an apple flavor that stands up to the cheese. The vegetables are partly pureed, so you still get soft pieces of onion and potato in each spoonful.

You don’t need cream or a flour-based thickener for this recipe. The potatoes do the thickening, and everything cooks in one pot before blending. It makes six servings for lunch or dinner, with bread on the side for dipping.

Why You’ll Love It

• You can make the soup with chicken or vegetable stock.
• The partly blended texture leaves plenty of vegetables to spoon up.
• The recipe makes enough for dinner and a few lunches, depending on how many people you’re feeding.

British Onion Soup with Cider Ingredients

The complete ingredients list and quantities are in the recipe card below.

• Onions and leeks: Use yellow or white onions. Slice them fairly evenly and wash the sliced leek whites thoroughly to remove grit trapped between the layers.
• Apples: Choose firm apples with some tartness, such as Granny Smith. Peel and core them before slicing.
• Potatoes: Peel them and cut them into small, even pieces so they soften during the simmer. They’ll thicken the soup when blended.
• Butter: This is used to soften the onions, leeks and apples. Unsalted butter gives you more control over the final seasoning.
• Hard cider: A dry apple cider keeps the soup from becoming too sweet. Use plain cider without added winter spices.
• Stock: Chicken or vegetable stock both work. A lower-sodium stock is useful because the cheese adds salt at serving time.
• Thyme and bay leaves: A thyme sprig and whole bay leaves go into the pot. You’ll remove them before blending, then sprinkle chopped fresh thyme over the finished soup.
• Gruyère and seasonings: Grate the cheese for the topping, then taste before adding more salt. White pepper and an optional pinch of nutmeg finish the soup.

How to Make British Onion Soup with Cider

The full instructions with weights and measurements are in the recipe card below.

• Soften the vegetables: Melt the butter in a heavy pot, then cook the sliced onions, leeks and apples until tender. Stir regularly and lower the heat if they start to catch.
• Add the cider: Stir in the potatoes and cider, bring to a boil and cook briefly before adding the stock and herbs.
• Simmer until tender: Cover the pot and simmer until a fork slips easily into a potato piece. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprig.
• Partly blend and finish: Puree about half the soup, keeping some pieces intact. Warm it through, adjust the consistency with extra stock if needed and add the cheese and fresh thyme to each serving.

Getting the Texture Right

Check the potatoes before blending. If they’re still firm in the middle, give the soup a few more minutes at a simmer. Pureeing undercooked potato won’t give you the same smooth base.

Stop blending before every piece disappears. If you use a food processor, follow its instructions for cooling soup and processing liquids, and work in small batches. An immersion blender lets you blend briefly in the pot with the heat off; keep its blade submerged to limit splashes.

Handy Equipment

• A heavy pot with a lid gives the sliced vegetables room to soften and holds the soup during simmering.
• Slice the onions, leeks and apples with a chef’s knife.
• Use a cutting board with enough room for the chopped potatoes and sliced vegetables.
• Measuring cups and spoons measure the cider and thyme. You can weigh the butter, onions and cheese on a kitchen scale.
• A box grater makes short work of the Gruyère topping.
• You can use a food processor to puree half the soup after cooling it as directed by the manufacturer. If you already have an immersion blender, you can use that instead.
• A food thermometer lets you check the temperature when reheating leftovers.

What to Serve with Cider Onion Soup

Crusty bread, buttered toast or a few thick slices of baguette suit the thick broth. Keep the bread alongside the soup so it stays crisp until you’re ready to dip it.

A small portion also works before a British main course such as toad in the hole. For lunch, the soup and bread are enough on their own.

How to Store British Onion Soup

• Refrigerate: Divide leftover soup into shallow containers and refrigerate within two hours, or one hour if the temperature is above 90°F. Keep it at 40°F or below and use it within 3 to 4 days. These timings follow USDA leftover guidance.
• Reheat: Heat in a saucepan, stirring so the thick soup warms evenly. Bring it to a boil and check that it reaches 165°F throughout, following USDA reheating advice. Add a splash of stock if it has thickened in the refrigerator.
• Freeze: Freeze the soup without its cheese and fresh thyme topping in portions. Leave room in the containers for expansion and aim to use it within two months for best texture. The potato may make it slightly grainier after thawing.
• Thaw and make ahead: Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. You can also cook the soup the day before, refrigerate it promptly and reheat it before adding the topping.

British Onion Soup FAQs

Victoria Haneveer

British Onion Soup with Cider

Onions, leeks, apples and potatoes simmer with dry hard cider and stock in this British soup. Puree half for a thick broth with soft vegetable pieces, then finish with Gruyère and fresh thyme.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Soup

Cuisine: British

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

 

For the soup

• 75 g butter (About 2⅔ oz.)
• 2 leeks (White parts only, washed and sliced.)
• 1 kg yellow or white onions (About 2.2 pounds, peeled and sliced.)
• 2 apples (Peeled, cored and sliced.)
• 150 ml dry hard apple cider (About 5 fl oz.)
• 2 large potatoes (Peeled and cut into small pieces.)
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 3 bay leaves
• 1000 ml hot chicken or vegetable stock (About 4¼ US cups, plus extra if needed.)
• salt and ground white pepper (To taste.)

For serving

• 200 g Gruyère cheese (About 7 oz, grated.)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg (Optional.)

Equipment

• Heavy pot with a lid
• Chef’s knife
• Cutting board
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Kitchen scale
• Box grater
• Immersion blender or food processor
• Food thermometer

Method

 

1. Melt the butter in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, onions and apples. Cook for about 12 minutes, stirring regularly, until tender. Lower the heat if the vegetables start to catch.
2. Add the cider and potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add the thyme sprig, bay leaves and hot stock. Season lightly with salt and white pepper. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes and other vegetables are soft.
4. Remove and discard the bay leaves and thyme sprig. Take the pot off the heat.
5. Puree about half the soup, leaving some vegetable pieces intact. Use an immersion blender with the blade submerged. If using a food processor, let the soup cool as directed by its manufacturer before processing in small batches, then return the puree to the pot.
6. Warm the soup through gently, stirring. Add extra hot stock if needed to reach the consistency you like. Taste and adjust the salt and white pepper.
7. Divide among six serving bowls and sprinkle with the grated Gruyère and chopped thyme. Add a pinch of nutmeg if using.

Notes

Cups and ounces are approximate conversions; the metric quantities preserve the original recipe amounts. Allow extra cooling time if using a food processor.

Onion Soup for a Cold Evening

Onions, apples and dry cider make a soup with a gentle sweetness and a tangy edge. The Gruyère topping gives this British version a savory finish, and the chunky texture makes it a satisfying choice for a cold-weather lunch.

Other Recipes to Try

• Cullen skink is a Scottish soup made with smoked haddock and potatoes.
• Beef and root vegetables simmer together in my brown Windsor soup.
• Carrot and chestnut soup has an earthy sweetness that suits an autumn lunch.
• You can make a smooth soup with this creamy butternut squash soup recipe.
• Apples also work well with root vegetables in apple and parsnip soup.

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