Apples, Brie meet in a bowl

Dear SOS: As an occasional special of the day, Bistro du Soleil in Playa del Rey serves an especially tasty apple-Brie soup. In fact, a friend sent an e-mail to the restaurant saying that she was coming to celebrate her birthday with friends and asked if it would prepare the soup for that evening. The restaurant obliged, and I had a serving of the most delicious soup. Do you think the restaurant would further oblige and provide the recipe?

Leslie Mitchner

Mar Vista

Dear Leslie: We love the simplicity of this recipe and the way the flavors pair so naturally.

The tart apple notes brighten the soup, complementing the rich creaminess of the melted Brie for an easy yet wonderfully flavorful dish.

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Brie ‘n’ apple soup

Total time: 1 hour

Servings: 4

Note: Adapted from Bistro du Soleil. This soup can be made ahead of time through Step 3 and chilled; reheat the puree before continuing the recipe.

2 tablespoons butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 stalks celery with leaves, finely chopped

2 large or 3 medium tart apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored and diced

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups chicken broth, divided

1/2 pound cold Brie, rind removed and cheese cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

Salt and pepper

Brown sugar to taste

Parsley for garnish

1. In a large saucepan heated over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the onion, celery and apple and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the contents are soft and slightly golden, about 10 minutes.

2. Sprinkle the flour over and stir to coat the contents. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes to moisten the flour.

3. Whisk in 1 cup of the chicken broth. Increase the heat to medium and continue to whisk until the broth has thickened and begins to bubble, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the remaining broth and bring the contents to a brisk boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover the saucepan and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and puree the soup in a blender or with an immersion blender. Strain the puree into a clean saucepan. The soup can be made up to this point and chilled; reheat the puree over low heat before serving.

4. Heat the puree over medium-low heat and stir in the Brie cubes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the cheese is fully melted, then whisk until the soup is completely smooth. Whisk in the heavy cream and thyme, and season to taste with salt and pepper and optional brown sugar.

5. Garnish the soup with parsley before serving. This makes about 1 quart soup.

Each serving: 389 calories; 15 grams protein; 22 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 27 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 93 mg. cholesterol; 678 mg. sodium.