Cheddar Apple Soup

Directions

1. 1
   Melt butter in a stockpot over medium heat; saute onion until tender, about 10 minutes.
2. 2
   Sprinkle flour and mustard powder over onion and stir to coat.
3. 3
   Cook and stir onion mixture until flour and mustard have dissolved, 1 to 2 more minutes.
4. 4
   Stir chicken stock into onion mixture until well-blended; add 3/4 the apples.
5. 5
   Cover the stockpot with a lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer until soup is thickened and apple is tender, about 10 minutes.
6. 6
   Stir Cheddar cheese into soup, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and soup is a silky texture, 3 to 5 minutes.
7. 7
   Blend soup using a hand blender or transfer soup to a blender, working in batches, until soup is smooth.
8. 8
   Stir hot sauce and black pepper into soup.
9. 9
   Ladle soup into serving bowls and garnish with remaining 1/4 chopped apple.