These mouthwatering savory soufflés are great for any occasion and are sure to impress! This tasty French dish has always gotten a bad rep for being “too challenging” to make at home but we’re going to debunk that myth and bring deliciousness to anyone who wants it!

Step 1: Gather the Ingredients

Muffin Tin or Ramekin Prep
2 tablespoons of butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons of finely grated Parmesan cheese

Tasty Filling Prep (good to note that this can be done with any of your favorite ingredients such as roasted peppers, tomatoes, sausage, etc. so feel free to improvise here and add whatever you’re craving!)
1.5 cups of asparagus, washed and cut into ½ inch pieces
1 package (8 oz) prosciutto
1 yellow onion cut into bite sized pieces
3 cloves of garlic, diced (more garlic is ALWAYS welcome here)
Olive oil for sautéing veggies

Soufflé Prep
3 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of flour
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/3 cups milk, hot (any type of milk will do but I like 1%)
4 large egg yolks
5 large egg whites + 1 tablespoon of water (keep in the fridge until ready to use)
8 oz of shredded gouda

Step 2:

Note: Soufflés are traditionally prepared in ramekins but can be just as easily made in muffin tins. We’ll show both options here so you can use whatever you have available.

Use the room temperature butter to lightly grease the bottom and edges of the muffin tins or ramekins then sprinkle and coat with Parmesan cheese. Place in the fridge until ready to use. If using muffin tins, it’s better not to use the paper inserts because the egg gets too sticky and your soufflés might not cook as evenly.

Step 3:

Cook the asparagus with the garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until soft and set aside. Caramelize the onions on low heat with olive oil for ~ 30 minutes or until golden brown and set aside with the asparagus and garlic. Pan fry the prosciutto for 5-7 minutes and set aside.

Step 4:

Preheat the oven 375 °F.

In a small saucepan heat the butter over medium heat until fully melted and the water has cooked off.

Step 5:

Whisk the flour, garlic powder, and salt into the melted butter and cook for 2 minutes whisking every ~30 seconds so the mixture doesn’t burn.

Step 6:

Heat the milk (microwave on high for 2 minutes works well) and whisk it to the saucepan until the mixture beings to slightly boil then remove from the heat.

Step 7:

Slowly add the egg yolks (yellow part!) to the milk and flour mixture WHILE whisking. This is called tempering and it’s really important to whisk constently to ensure the yolks don’t get too hot and start to cook. Finally, add the cheese (it’s always a good idea to eat some cheese while you add it to be sure it’s still good) and whisk until well mixed. The mixture should be pretty sticky and delicious at this point. Set it aside.

Step 8:

Now for the fun part, fluffy egg whites! This can be done using an electric mixer or by hand if you want a really good workout (I’ve done it both ways and both come out great.) In a separate bowl add the chilled egg whites + 1 tablespoon of water and whip whip whip. Keep whipping until the egg whites are nice and fluffy and stand on end like a question mark when you remove your whisk from the bowl.

Keep whipping, more, even more.

Seriously a bit more … there is it! It’s so satisfying to see those beautiful white peaks.

(Go here to learn more about the science behind the whisking of eggs and why they turn white when you add air).

Step 9:

Okay, nearly done. Gently add the egg yolk, milk, and cheese mixture from the saucepan to the beautifully whipped egg whites by hand.

DO NOT USE AN ELECTRIC MIXER, or you’ll pop all those lovely bubbles you just incorporated into your egg whites. Using a spatula slowly add these two mixtures together until evenly incorporated.

Step 10:

Finally fold in your sautéed ingredients (asparagus, caramelized onions, garlic, and prosciutto). Transfer the final mixture to your muffin tins or soufflé dishes filling about ¾ of the way.

Pop those goodies in the oven and bake for ~35 minutes until golden brown and risen (oh I just love watching them rise!) Your finished soufflés can be enjoyed immediately or reheated for future happiness.

Step 11:

Note: Another common myth about soufflés is that they stay risen for an extended period of time if they’re done right but that’s not true. Yes your soufflés will likely rise while cooking because the heat of the oven will expand the air bubbles that were incorporated into the egg whites during the whipping process. Once they soufflés are removed from the oven and start to cool down, the air will contract and the bubbles will begin to shrink back to their original size before cooking so it will appear as if your soufflés are “falling”. This is supposed to happen, it’s just science!