Could I BE any more excited to share a soup-and-bread recipe with you?
Mini food is so much fun — you can eat more and they’re delightfully poppable. Mini soup shooters served in tiny pretzel bread bowls are doubly delightful: you get creamy, cheesy soup and a bite of salty bread in every spoonful.
These little cups are filled with melted cheese, crispy bacon and a rich, cider-infused soup, all tucked into homemade pretzel rolls. They’re the perfect balance of savory, tangy and slightly sweet, and they’re wildly addictive.
And toppings. Always toppings.
Toppings make everything better: chives, fresh herbs, crumbled bacon and a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt finish these shooters perfectly. Think nachos or loaded baked potatoes — the more toppings, the better.
I’ve been obsessed with pretzel bread lately — not the soft pretzel snack so much as freshly baked, salty pretzel rolls. I’ll find a way to add them to any meal: pasta, smoked sausage, crockpot roast — pretzel bread works with almost everything.
The soup itself is a cheesy dream, adapted from a long-time family favorite. It’s creamy, bold and comforting — delicious on its own with a spoon, but transcendent when scooped up with a chunk of warm pretzel bread. If you love beer cheese soup, this cider version is a fresh, autumnal spin.
Dipping bread into this soup will change the way you think about comfort food.
I’d only made this soup with beer before, but trying hard cider — both apple and pumpkin varieties — brought out new, delicious layers. Apple cider gives a bright, classic fall flavor, while pumpkin cider adds warm spice notes. I tried both and loved them; choose the cider that matches the autumn profile you want.
You could also mix apple and pumpkin ciders if you want a hybrid flavor. Either way, finishing off the bottle is a welcome problem.
These shooters are fantastic for parties, though preparing many mini pretzel rolls takes time. The soup itself is quick enough for a weeknight and makes a comforting meal paired with sandwiches. If you can find bakery-made pretzel rolls, use them to save time — the flavor combo is worth it.
Spoiler: this is not a detox from yesterday’s brownie, but it’s absolutely worth indulging in.
Cider Cheese Soup Shooters in Mini Pretzel Bread Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 batch of pretzel rolls
- 3 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 1 sweet onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups your favorite hard cider, apple or pumpkin
- 1 cup half and half
- 8 ounces sharp white cheddar, freshly grated
- 4 ounces colby jack, freshly grated
- fresh herbs, cilantro and chives for garnish
- sour cream or Greek yogurt for topping
Instructions
-
Make the pretzel rolls or purchase bakery pretzel rolls. For mini bowls, form smaller dough balls about 1 to 1.5 ounces each, roughly a bit over 1 inch in diameter. Reduce the bake time slightly as needed. Once cooled, use a serrated knife to cut out the centers to create bowls. Rolls can be made the night before.
-
This soup works well with either hard apple cider or hard pumpkin cider — choose based on your preferred flavor profile.
-
To make the soup: heat a large pot over medium heat and cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Reduce heat to low, add the diced onion and minced garlic, and cook about 10 minutes until the onion is translucent. Increase heat to medium-high, add butter, then whisk in the flour and cook 3 to 4 minutes until golden and nutty to form a roux.
-
Slowly stream in the cider while stirring constantly and cook about 5 minutes to let the alcohol evaporate and the mixture thicken slightly. Add the half and half, reduce heat to low, and gradually stir in the cheeses a handful at a time until smooth and fully melted. Fold in half the reserved bacon, taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Spoon the soup into the mini pretzel bowls and garnish with chopped herbs, remaining bacon and a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Be sure to follow @howsweeteats on Instagram and tag #howsweeteats. Share a photo — I appreciate seeing your creations!
Can we have a soup-bite contest? Yes, please.