Chestnut Soup Recipes

CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• In 3-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Cook onion and celery in butter 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add chopped chestnuts; cook 2 minutes. (Set aside a few chestnut pieces for garnish, if desired.) Add wine; stir to loosen particles from bottom of pan. Stir in broth, whipping cream, salt and white pepper. Heat to boiling; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes. Remove from heat; cool 15 minutes.
• Into blender, pour half of the soup. Cover; blend on high speed until smooth. Return to saucepan. Repeat with remaining soup. Stir in nutmeg; heat to simmering. Cook until hot. Garnish individual servings with crème fraîche, reserved chopped chestnuts and black pepper.

CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, then stir in celery, carrot, and onion. Cover surface of vegetables with a buttered round of wax paper or parchment (buttered side down) and cover pan with lid, then sweat vegetables 15 minutes (to soften).
• Wrap parsley, cloves, and bay leaf in cheesecloth and tie into a bundle with string to make a bouquet garni.
• Discard buttered paper from vegetables, then add broth and bouquet garni and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Add chestnuts and Madeira and simmer, covered, 3 minutes.
• Purée soup in small batches (4 or 5) in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring to a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan. Stir in cream, pepper, and salt to taste and reheat soup over moderate heat, stirring occasionally.

CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• Heat butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onion, celery and carrot and saute a few minutes to begin the cooking process. Sprinkle on the flour and cook a minute or until slightly browned. Add the broth, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Add chestnuts or puree and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes longer.
• Puree in a blender or food processor and return to a saucepan to reheat. If too thin, simmer over low heat, stirring continuously until thickened or if too thick, add more liquid. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add a dash of Madeira and ladle out. Garnish with sour cream and chives if you wish.

CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• To Cook Chestnuts: With a sharp knife, slice an 'X' across each chestnut. Place chestnuts in a single layer on a jelly roll pan. Pour 1/4 cup water into the pan. Bake in a preheated 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) oven for 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, shell and peel.
• In a large saucepan combine the chicken stock, shelled chestnuts and chopped onions. Place the parsley sprigs, cloves and bay leaf in a spice bag and add to the chicken stock mixture. Simmer over medium-low heat for 45 minutes.
• Discard the spice bag and puree the chestnut mixture in a food processor or blender. Add the heavy cream, sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Return mixture to saucepan and gently heat through. To serve to with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream, a bit of chopped parsley and some cooked chopped chestnuts just before serving. High quality vegetable broth can be substituted for the chicken broth.

CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• Trim the top off the leek, slice it lengthwise and chop it roughly. Soak the leek briefly in water to remove sand and grit, then drain. Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat, and butter and sweat celery and leeks in the butter until very soft DO NOT BROWN. Add the roasted chestnuts and chicken stock and bring to a simmer. If you are using frozen chestnuts, simmer for approximately 20 minutes, or until the starch begins to develop and the soup begins to thicken. If fresh chestnuts are used, simmer for approximately 30 minutes or until the starch begins to develop and you can easily crush the nuts against the side of the pot with a spoon. Turn off heat and allow the soup to cool slightly, otherwise the stream from the hot soup may cause the blender to malfunction. Pour the soup into a blender (or use an immersion blender right in the pot) blend until there are no longer any large pieces of chestnut, celery and leeks and the soup is somewhat smooth. Very small pieces of chestnut should remain. Return soup to pot and bring to a simmer again, add the cream and the port. Reduce until slightly thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the soup becomes too thick, adjust the consistency by adding a bit of water. The soup should be stirred well before serving, if it is in a thermos, shake it very well before pouring into bowls.

CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, bring the chicken bouillon to a boil over high heat. Add the chestnuts, bacon, fennel, salt and pepper. Simmer over medium-low heat for 40 minutes. Remove the saucepan from heat. Discard the bacon.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the chestnuts from the broth and place them in a food processor. Add about 2 cups of the broth and process to a smooth puree. Add additional broth, if needed. Pour the puree back into the saucepan with the remaining broth. Add the goat's milk or yogurt and stir well to combine. Correct the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if desired. Heat gently and serve garnished with fresh fennel sprigs.

FAST, EASY, ELEGANT CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• This is really easy.
• Put everything except the cream, salt and pepper in a soup pot.
• Bring to boil, turn dow, and cook gently for 30 minutes.
• Mush up the chestnuts a bit with a fork.
• Decide if you want the soup a bit chunky, or really smooth.
• I prefer the smooth version.
• For both, use immersion blender to the point where you like the look of the soup for a chunky version.
• For the really smooth version, blend in blender after using the immersion blender until it reaches the consistency you like.
• Taste, check for seasoning, add salt and pepper, stir in cream.
• If it is too thick, add a bit of stock or water.
• I liked it best a bit thick.

CHESTNUT-MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a paring knife, make an incision in each chestnut about 1/8-inch deep through the shell and into the flesh, cutting almost all the way around nut. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until chestnuts are tender when pierced with the paring knife, about 35 minutes. Turn off oven. Leaving sheet in oven, remove several chestnuts at a time. Working quickly, place each chestnut in a kitchen towel, and remove and discard shell and inner skin.
• Roughly chop all but 2 cremini and 2 shiitake mushrooms. Heat 1 tablespoon butter with olive oil in a small stockpot over medium-high heat. Add chopped mushrooms, and season with salt and pepper. Cook mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and thyme sprigs. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Add all but 4 peeled chestnuts, and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Add stock and the water, raise heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until chestnuts are falling-apart tender, about 1 hour. Remove and discard thyme sprigs, and let soup cool slightly.
• Pass soup through a fine sieve into a bowl; transfer solids in batches to a food processor or blender, and puree until completely smooth. Add strained liquid, and process 1 minute. Return soup to stockpot, and season with salt and pepper.
• Cut the remaining 4 chestnuts and 4 mushrooms into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Melt remaining tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Saute sliced chestnuts and mushrooms until crisp and golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Just before serving, heat soup over low. Stir in cream, and remove from heat. Ladle soup into shallow bowls; garnish with sauteed chestnuts and mushrooms and the thyme leaves.

CAULIFLOWER & CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion. Cook over a gentle heat for 8-10 mins until the onion softens. Add the cauliflower, milk and stock. Bring to a simmer, cooking for 10-12 mins until the cauliflower is tender.
• Add the cream, season well and bring back to the boil. Take off the heat, throw in the chestnuts and blend with a hand blender until smooth. Taste and add more seasoning, if you like. To serve, top with shaved Parmesan, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

ROASTED CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• Roast chestnuts in a 375 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Whether you're using fresh, canned or vacuum packed chestnuts you still need to do this step.
• While chestnuts are roasting, heat oil in 4 quart pot over medium high heat. Add butter. Allow oil and butter to melt together. Add in onions, carrots, celery and saute for 8 to 10 minutes until they are softened. Add soy sauce and chestnuts. Cook for 2-3 minutes over medium high heat. Stir frequently. Add water. Bring to a simmer. Leave uncovered and continue simmering for 25 to 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add parsley and sage.
• Using an immersion or standard blender, puree soup. After pureeing the soup you can stir in the wine if you'd like. Serve!

CHESTNUT SOUP WITH BACON AND CHIVES

Steps:

• In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook bacon until rendered and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of the fat. In the same saucepan, melt the butter, and add the carrot, celery, leek, and shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium-low heat until softened and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Add broth and chestnuts to the saucepan. Bring to a simmer, partially cover, and cook until all the ingredients are soft, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, and purée in batches in a blender until very smooth. Return to saucepan, add the cream, and heat thoroughly, adding stock to thin if needed. (A spoon should not leave a trail on the surface of the soup.)
• Season with salt and pepper and ladle into warmed shallow bowls. Garnish with the reserved bacon, a dab of crème fraîche, chives, and a pinch of nutmeg.