Impress your friends and family with this authentic cheese fondue soup made with Swiss Emmentaler and Gruyère cheese, white wine, and a splash of kirsch. It’s one of the most deliciously creative soups I’ve ever made.
I love unusual soups. I also LOVE fondue, but I hardly ever get to enjoy it because…who has a fondue pot? So when I came up with the idea for this cheesy fondue soup I was on it faster than you can say cheese pull. The classic flavors of Swiss cheese fondue come through beautifully in this silky soup, it’s a joy to eat.
The flavors are here in this cheese fondue soup:
- the cheese: Emmentaler and Gruyère are the authentic fondue cheese duo
- the white wine
- a hint of garlic
- a dash of kirsch (a sour cherry brandy)
- chicken stock thins it all down to a slurp-able soup
How I make cheese fondue soup
These are the basic steps for cheese fondue soup ~ but be sure to see the recipe card for important details
- The hint of garlic: rub your saucepan and bowls with the cut side of a garlic clove.
- The base: heat chicken stock, wine, cream and corn starch slurry until hot but not simmering.
- The cheese: lower the heat and slowly add the grated cheese, a little at a time, stirring to melt each batch.
- Stir, stir, stir: until all the cheese has been melted into the soup and it has thickened slightly.
- The final touches: add kirsch, nutmeg, croutons, and serve!
Serving cheese fondue soup
Choose small bowls or mugs for this rich soup, a little goes a long way.
Wipe the inside of your small soup bowls with the cut half of a garlic clove. Ladle in the hot soup and top with generously with rustic croutons ~ they are essential for the fondue ‘experience’.
Top with coarse black pepper and fresh grated nutmeg.
Cheese fondue soup questions
I’m using the cheese combination that is used for authentic Swiss fondue: the traditional blend is
1:1 Gruyère + Emmentaler, both Swiss cheeses that melt beautifully. 
Emmentaler and Gruyere give the most authentic flavor to this soup, and I recommend keeping at least one of them for flavor. You can sub in Fontina or Monterey Jack for easy melting.
Cornstarch acts as a stabilizer to keep the cheese emulsion smooth and creamy.
The wine is essential to the fondue flavor, and it also helps to emulsify the cheese. I don’t recommend omitting it but if you must you might try a non-alcoholic wine.
No, this recipe is formulated as a soup, so it’s much thinner than fondue. Trust me, you wouldn’t enjoy a soup that was as thick as fondue!
Ideally this soup is best (and silkiest) when freshly made. If you must reheat your soup do it very gently and stir while it heats up. Cold soup will seem very thick but will thin down as it is heated.
It comes down to flavor: the special cheeses, the wine, and the hints of Kirsch and nutmeg makes this soup read ‘fondue’.
Rustic croutons
Your crunchy croutons will help create that authentic fondue experience with your soup.
Slice a rustic loaf of bread into thick or thin slices (depending on whether you want cute little croutons or rustic chunks.) Then cut into cubes. Toss them with olive oil and sea salt and roast on a baking sheet at 350F for about 10-15 minutes, tossing occasionally.
Sue’s bottom line
My husband and I both loved this soup, and we had a lot of it! This recipe went through more rounds of testing than most, but it was worth it. It’s got wonderful flavor, and isn’t super thick or stodgy.
It’s truly restaurant-worthy, but I do recommend doing a practice run for the family before serving to guests…it can be tricky to get the heat at just the right level to melt the cheese ~ not too low or too high. And be sure to use the Swiss cheeses for the ‘fondue’ flavor, that really makes the soup.
See my Fondue Macaroni and Cheese too!
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Cheese Fondue Soup
Equipment
- heavy saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic, sliced in half
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 cup cream
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 3 tablespoons of water to make a slurry
- 6 ounces Emmentaler cheese, shredded
- 6 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
- 1-2 Tbsp kirsch
- sea salt, if needed
croutons
- 4 slices rustic bread, cut into cubes
- olive oil
- flaky sea salt
garnish
- fresh cracked black pepper (coarse)
- fresh grated nutmeg
Instructions
- Put the 2 cups chicken stock, 1 cup dry white wine, and 1/2 cup cream in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the 2 Tbsp cornstarch with 3 Tbsp water to form a smooth slurry and stir it into the pot.
- Once the mixture is hot (but not simmering) turn down the heat to low and start adding the cheese, bit by bit, stirring to melt it before adding the next batch. Do this slowly to be sure you get it incorporated. I use a silicone spoonula because it makes it easy to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot. Note: the traditional way to stir fondue is in a smooth figure 8 motion.
- Once all the cheese has melted and the soup is slightly thickened, add the 1-2 Tbsp kirsch and taste to see if it needs salt.
- Serve the soup in small bowls or mugs topped with the croutons, some coarse black pepper, and a grating of nutmeg.
- The soup is best enjoyed right away, but if you have leftovers, reheat them gently.
croutons (optional but recommended)
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Toss the chunks of bread with olive oil and sea salt until well coated and spread out in a single layer on a sheet pan. Toast for 10-15 minutes, tossing once, until golden and crunchy.
Nutrition
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This looks so awesome! What a great idea. Can’t wait to try it.