Culpeper House

Here Lives A Man with a Pan

Starters

Chestnut Soup

Toby

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • shallot , or ½ small onion, chopped
  • 1 medium-sized carrot, chopped (~ ⅓ cup)
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped (~ ⅓ cup)
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • 2 ½ cups chestnuts, cooked and peeled* – (about 15 oz.) plus more for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 cups vegetable stock
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon white pepper, or black pepper
  • ¼ cup heavy cream , – optional
  • ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS:

  • 4 tablespoons creme fraiche
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
  • 4 cooked bacon strips, chopped (or turkey bacon) – non vegetarian option

Instructions 

  • Cook the vegetables: Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven (or large saucepan) over medium heat. Add shallot, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring regularly, for 5-7 minutes or until vegetables are softened.
  • Add the garlic: Add in the garlic and cook for one minute.
  • Add additional ingredients: Stir in the chestnuts, thyme, bay leaf, vegetable stock, and salt and pepper.
  • Cook the soup: Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes or until all the vegetables are fork-tender.
  • Puree the soup: Discard the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, carefully puree the soup until it is creamy.
  • Add the heavy cream: If using, stir in the heavy cream. Bring it to a quick rolling boil. Give it a quick taste and add more if necessary.
  • Add the nutmeg: Right before serving, stir in the grated nutmeg.
  • Serve: Ladle into individual bowls and if preferred, garnish with your choice of toppings.

Notes

  • This recipe makes 5-6 cups of chestnut soup, making it approximately 1 1/2 cups per serving. The calorie information listed below does not include the optional toppings.
  • Cooking Chestnuts: You can use shop bought chestnuts or boil fresh chestnuts yourself. Alternatively, you can use roasted chestnuts to make this soup recipe.
  • To make it vegan: If you are following a plant-based diet, please omit using heavy cream, creme Fraiche, and bacon. This soup is naturally gluten-free with or without the optional ingredients.
  • Foam on top: You may end up with some foam on top after pureeing the soup. You can remove it with a spoon. Or do what I do, bring the soup to one last boil while stirring it constantly. 
  • Bacon: If you want to coon the bacon on the hob you can cook it in the same pot you will use to make the soup. Simply place the strips in a cold pot, arrange them in a single layer, and cook them over low heat until they are crispy. Transfer them to a paper towel, pour out the excess grease in the pot, and then follow the instructions starting with cooking the vegetables.
  • Store: Let the soup cool down to room temperature before storing. Transfer it into an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
  • Freeze: Let it come to room temperature and store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. 
  • Thaw: To thaw from frozen, let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight.
  • Reheat: Reheat in a saucepan on the stove, making sure to stir often as it heats up. The soup tends to thicken as it sits, so you may need to add a quarter cup of liquid to thin it out.