Caerphilly, from south and west Wales, is a farmhouse, unpasteurised, vegetarian hard cheese. It has an ivory-white rind, which is dusted with fine flour. Red Leicester is a creamy, hard cheese with a bright orange-red rind. Both cheeses are ideal for grating and grilling.
Ingredients
- 50g butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 3 celery sticks, chopped
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 large potato (about 280g), diced and rinsed
- 850ml fresh vegetable stock
- 142ml carton single cream
- 75g Caerphilly, grated
- 75g Red Leicester, grated
For the toasties
- 100g mature English Cheddar, grated
- 1 tbsp walnuts, chopped
- 2 tbsp cider or light beer
- 1 French stick, cut into 12 slices
Method
- 1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes until softened but not brown. Add the carrots and potato and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the stock, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, until tender. Remove from the heat, liquidise in batches and return to a clean pan. Set aside.
- 2. Meanwhile, make the toasties. Preheat the grill to high. In a bowl, mash the Cheddar with the walnuts and cider and spread on the bread. Arrange on a baking sheet and grill for 4-5 minutes until golden and set.
- 3. Stir most of the cream into the soup and reheat gently (don’t let it boil). Add the cheeses, stir, and season to taste. Remove from the heat. Divide between bowls and top with a drizzle of the remaining cream, if you wish. Serve with the toasties.
Nutritional info
Per serving 673kcals, 41.6g fat (24.3g saturated), 24.7g protein, 51.3g carbs, 11.7g sugar, 2.4g salt
Chef's tip
Caerphilly, from south and west Wales, is a farmhouse, unpasteurised, vegetarian hard cheese. It has an ivory-white rind, which is dusted with fine flour. Red Leicester is a creamy, hard cheese with a bright orange-red rind. Both cheeses are ideal for grating and grilling.