This savory spinach and gruyere soufflé is crisp on the outside, and light and fluffy on the inside.
The Deets
The soufflé has a long history that dates back to Paris, France. The dish was refined over the years and grew in popularity when it was made more famous by French chef, Marie-Antoine Carême. Making a souffle isn’t as hard or scary as its reputation goes, in fact it only needs a few ingredients. Meet your new favorite brunch meal. This spinach and gruyere version is *chefs kiss.* Trust me, this recipe won’t disappoint! However, we are taking it up a few notches today from your basic soufflé and adding a spinach twist.
Make it Mini
Make it mini is a series that reimagines recipes using Le Creuset mini cocottes. Next up is a spinach and gruyere soufflé. This version starts with a shallot béchamel sauce and all bakes in the shallot mini. The soufflés get topped with more cheese and a dusting of nutmeg. Be sure to check out my other “make it mini” recipes! It’s so light and fluffy but is packed with hearty spinach.
“Make it mini” with Le Creuset: Spinach and gruyere soufflé
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup gruyere cheese, grated
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 shallot, diced
- 6 tbsp butter (2 for buttering the cocottes and 4 for the bechamel sauce)
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 2 tbsp flour
- ½ cup whole milk
- 2 egg yolks
- 3 egg whites
- Sea salt and pepper
Instructions
- Note: Remove eggs from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature. If you try and beat the eggs and theyre too cold, they won’t thicken and form peaks.
- Preheat oven to 400. Butter the inside of 4 cocottes. Add enough breadcrumbs to coat the sides of each.
- Add spinach to a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.
- Over medium heat, melt butter in a saucepan and shallot. Stir in flour. Add milk and stir continuously. Add in nutmeg and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until sauce is thickened and bubbly, about 3-5 min.
- Separate the yolks from the egg whites. Whisk the 2 egg yolks. Add egg yolks to the béchamel and stir until combined. Add cheese and spinach. And fold into the sauce.
- In another bowl, whisk the egg whites together until peaks form. Once they form, fold in 1/3 of the spinach béchamel. Then carefully fold in the rest, being careful not to overmix.
- Add mixture into the minis a little more than ¾ full. Wipe the sides to further encourage them to rise. Bake for 12 min and then add tinfoil overtop if they are starting to brown on the top. Cook for another 12 min. Remove and serve immediately with a sprinkle of cheese and a dusting of nutmeg. Enjoy!
