This mac and cheese soup is exactly what it sounds like: everything you love about stovetop mac and cheese, loosened just enough to become a rich, spoonable bowl of comfort. It’s creamy without being heavy, packed with real cheese flavor, and ready in under 30 minutes.
The hard cider adds a subtle tang that keeps the soup from tasting flat, while a classic onion-carrot-celery base gives it actual depth — not just melted cheese and hope.
Why You’ll Love This
- One pot (ok, minus the pasta)
- Real cheese, no shortcuts
- Ready fast, but tastes like it has simmered longer
- Kid-friendly, adult-approved (win-win).
- Easy to tweak with toppings or mix-ins
Ingredients
Pasta & Base
- Short pasta (elbows, shells, or whatever’s in the pantry)
- Neutral oil
- Onion
- Carrot
- Celery
- Salt and black pepper
Soup Body
- Butter
- Flour
- Cayenne pepper
- Dry mustard powder
- Hard cider
- Low-sodium chicken broth
- Milk
Cheese Blend
- Sharp cheddar (the backbone — don’t skimp)
- Mozzarella (for melt and stretch)
- Parmesan (for depth)
To Finish
- Sliced scallions
- Optional toppings: toasted breadcrumbs, crushed crackers, or Cheez-Its
How to Make Mac and Cheese Soup
- Cook the pasta
Boil pasta in well-salted water until just al dente. Drain and set aside. Don’t overcook — it’ll soften more in the soup. - Build the flavor base
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook until soft and fragrant, about 5–7 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. - Make the roux
Add butter and let it melt. Stir in flour and cook for about 1 minute — just enough to remove the raw flour taste. - Season and deglaze
Stir in cayenne and mustard powder. Slowly pour in the cider, whisking and scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. - Create the soup
Gradually whisk in broth and milk. Bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat. - Add the cheese
Off the heat, stir in the cheeses a handful at a time until fully melted and smooth. This keeps the soup silky, not grainy. - Finish and serve
Add the cooked pasta and let it sit for 5 minutes to heat through. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into bowls and finish with scallions and your topping of choice.
Still stressed about dinner? Check out this easy busy day soup.
Tips for Success
- Shred your own cheese. Pre-shredded cheese doesn’t melt as smoothly.
- Kill the heat before adding cheese. High heat = broken sauce.
- Don’t skip the cider. It adds balance, not sweetness.
- Too thick? Add a splash of warm broth or milk before serving.
Variations & Add-Ins
- Extra cozy: Stir in crispy bacon or ham.
- Veg boost: Add broccoli florets or peas with the pasta.
- Spicy: Increase cayenne or finish with hot sauce.
- Beer swap: A light lager works if cider isn’t your thing.
Storage & Reheating
- Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of milk or broth.
- Expect it to thicken — that’s normal.
FAQs
Yes. Just keep the pasta separate and add it when reheating for best texture.
The acidity keeps the cheese flavor bright and prevents the soup from tasting flat.
You can, but the blend gives better melt and depth.
If you’ve tried my Mac and Cheese Soup recipe, or any other recipe on passthesushi.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also follow along for more good eats and travel tips on Instagram @passthesushi & @girlcarnivore, Twitter & Facebook.
For some more great soups, try these!
Ingredients
- 4 oz macaroni pasta - shells, elbows, whatever you have about
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 small onion - chopped
- 1 medium carrot - diced
- 1 celery stalk - diced
- salt and pepper
- 3 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 8 oz hard cider - such as Angry Orchard Hard Cider
- 3 – 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup milk
- 6 oz sharp cheddar cheese - shredded
- 2 oz mozzarella cheese - shredded
- 2 oz Parmesan cheese - shredded
- scallions - green parts only, sliced
Instructions
- Cook the pasta to al dente in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain, rinse, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onion, carrot, and celery until soft, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and add the butter.
- Whisk in the flour to create a roux. Cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the cayenne and mustard and carefully whisk in the cider, scraping up any browned bits. Slowly whisk in the broth and milk.
- Remove from heat and while stirring, add the cheese until melted through.
- Add the pasta and let sit for 5 minutes to heat through.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with scallions, breadcrumbs, or broken Cheez-it crackers!
Notes
Nutritional informations provided as a courtesy and is only an approximatation. Values will changes based on ingredients used.
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I enjoy watching a few sports, but definitely love the Olympics. I am particular to the skiing and snowboarding events. As for this soup, it brings back an entertaining memory when my mom decided it was more efficient to cook the macaroni in milk rather than water, but of course resulted in a “milked down” cheese sauce for the macaroni and wasn’t particularly good. But I am sure you’re has sufficient amounts of cheese to be yummy ;-).
Now THIS is a soup!!! Creamy, noodle-y, cheesy. Don’t need much more than that!!
What a fun concept-love it!!!
This looks delicious! How many servings does the recipe make please?
I’m horrible at televising. I usually read or take photos. I do love to watch ice skating. They’re so graceful and sparkly. Oh mah goodness, you turned mac and cheese into soup–you genius, you.