If you have ever tried to plan a “simple Sunday lunch” and suddenly found yourself deep in the cheese aisle hunting for something fancy like Gruyère… then welcome to my world, you are my people.

This week I decided I wanted something light and summery but still special enough to feel like a family meal. Not heavy nor complicated and something other than my usual frittata!

I landed on a cheese soufflé: classic yet elegant and comforting. I also know it is tricky but the reason I was brave enough to attempt it on a lazy Sunday is because my chickens have been absolutely glorious lately, giving me seven eggs a day like it’s their full time job.

As you know I spend time in Mexico where gathering all things American can be difficult.

I originally didn’t have ramekins big enough for individual servings so I decided I’d do one big soufflé in a locally crafted clay pot. I even had a whole plan: butter the pot, bring it up gently in a cold oven so it wouldn’t crack, dust the sides with parmesan, add the egg mixture and cook.

The recipe called for Cream of Tartar and I wanted to add Gruyère, so I ran to my go to market with much hope yet trepidation but miracles happen all the time! They had both the Tartar and the Gruyere and remarkably there on the shelf were 10 perfect ramekins. I couldn’t believe my luck so we pivoted from the rustic clay pot improvisation to individual soufflés and they turned out deliciously well.

Here is the recipe I used for the Perfect Cheese Soufflé (For 4 People)

It’s rich but not heavy, it rises dramatically as long as the temperature is high and you don’t open the oven too soon! It is also deliciously satisfying and uses up a beautiful amount of eggs — thank you, chickens!

Ingredients

For the béchamel base

• 4 tbsp butter (plus more for greasing ramekins)

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour

• 2 cups whole milk (warm is best)

• 1 tsp sea salt

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• ¼ tsp nutmeg (optional but very soufflé-ish)

• ½ tsp Dijon mustard (optional but delicious)

• 1 pinch cayenne (optional)

You can mix cheeses and this is where it gets fun. I used:

• 1 cup grated Gruyère

• ½ cup grated Parmesan (plus more for dusting)

• ½ cup sharp cheddar or aged gouda

Eggs

• 6 large eggs, separated

• ½ tsp cream of tartar (or 1 tsp lemon juice

Instructions

1) Prep your soufflé dishes (this matters!)

• Preheat oven to 400°F / 200°C

• Butter each ramekin generously, brushing upwards

• Dust the inside with Parmesan

(This gives it traction to climb like a tiny edible mountain.)

Place ramekins on a baking sheet, filled with a little water

2) Make the béchamel base

• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat

• Add flour and whisk for 1 minute (you’re cooking out the flour taste)

• Slowly whisk in warm milk

• Cook 2–3 minutes until thick and creamy

• Stir in salt, pepper, nutmeg, Dijon, cayenne

• Remove from heat

3) Add yolks + cheeses

• Whisk in egg yolks one at a time

• Stir in all grated cheeses

• Let it cool slightly (you don’t want scrambled eggs)

4) Make the egg whites (the soufflé magic)

• Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until:

• foamy → soft peaks → glossy stiff peaks

Think: clouds that hold their shape. Important: Don’t overbeat into dry clumps.

5) Fold (do NOT stir)

• Stir 1/3 of the whites into the cheese base to lighten it

• Gently fold in the rest in two additions

Stop folding when you still see a few white streaks — that’s perfect.

6) Fill and bake

• Spoon into ramekins, filling almost to the top

• Smooth tops lightly

• Run your thumb around the inside rim (a tiny “moat” helps it rise straight)

Bake at 400°F / 200°C for:

• 16–18 minutes for individual ramekins

• 28–35 minutes for one large soufflé

The Puff should be tall and the top golden

Pitfalls to be aware of:

1) Do not open the oven too early, opening the oven early is like popping a balloon. Your soufflé will sink and you’ll blame yourself forever.

2) Egg whites under-whipped are a problem as they need some structure.

3) Egg whites over-whipped are also bad as they get grainy and collapse.

4) It is important to fold and not stir as it deflates all the air you worked so hard to create.

5) Make sure the oven is hot as soufflés need heat to rise fast.

6) Greasing properly is essential. Butter + Parmesan are not optional they are the scaffolding.

And finally you can bake soufflé in unusual dishes:

• a clay pot (so charming)

• a cast iron skillet

• a deep ceramic bowl

• small espresso cups

• oven-safe glassware

Just remember:

• tall/straight sided = taller rise

• wide/shallow = more of a soufflé “puff” than a tower

• never fill too close to the top if the dish is wide

I served each soufflé with:

• a crisp home grown salad with lemon + olive oil

• sliced tomatoes + flaky salt

• ice cream with garden grown fresh passionfruit

A final thought

Sometimes the best meals aren’t about perfection they’re about aliveness. A light summer supper, with eggs from your own chickens, a recipe that rises like magic, and those small moments of “I can’t believe I found ramekins today!” joy…. That’s the kind of abundance that makes life feel lighter.

written by Marjolein Brugman

Marjolein Brugman is the founder of lighterliving and Aeropilates. “lighterliving is a movement and lifestyle choice we can all make. Let’s make it simple – make one decision a day to be better and watch the small steps lead to big changes. Eat smart, stay active, and you’ll live to feel a lighter life."

The day I miraculously found ramekins and made Soufflé happen