Fast Easy Elegant Chestnut Soup Recipes

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:

• 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.

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 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.

ROASTED CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• If you have skinned chestnuts, proceed to step 2. If your chestnuts still have their skins, preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a sharp (preferably curved) paring knife to make an X on their flat sides. Roast them in one layer in a baking pan for 10 to 15 minutes, or until their skins begin to open away from the meat. They will then be easy to peel; remove both outer and inner skins while they are warm. (The peeled chestnuts will cook faster if you chop them roughly, but it isn't necessary.)
• Meanwhile (if you have skinned chestnuts, start here), put the olive oil or butter in a deep skillet or casserole over medium heat. A couple of minutes later, add the celery, onion, and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and the chestnuts, bring to a boil, and partially cover. Adjust the heat so that the mixture simmers and cook until the chestnuts are mushy, about 30 minutes.
• Carefully puree the soup in a blender (if you are not in a hurry, cool it slightly first for extra caution). Measure and add water to make 6 cups of liquid. Reheat, adjust the seasoning if necessary, garnish with celery leaves or parsley, and serve.
• Variations
• I like to elaborate on this soup in two ways, depending on what I've got in the fridge and whether meat eaters are coming to dinner:
• Chestnut Soup with Bacon: Start by rendering 1/4 cup or so of diced slab bacon; scoop out the solids and reserve them for garnish, then sauté the celery and onion in the rendered fat and proceed as directed.
• Chestnut Soup with Shiitakes: Garnish the soup with a cup or so of shiitake mushrooms (caps only), sliced and sautéed in butter or oil until crisp.

ELEGANT CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• TO ROAST CHESTNUTS: Choose fresh, firm, unwrinkled chestnuts with no signs of mold. On the flat side of each chestnut make 2 cuts with a small, sharp knife, from one end to the other in the shape of an X. Place the chestnuts, cut side up, on a low baking sheet with a thin layer of water on the bottom. Bake the chestnuts for 20-25 minutes at 350F until browned and the cuts peel back naturally from the heat. Test one chestnut to be sure its "meat" is tender. When tender, remove from oven, cool only slightly, peel and enjoy or use in recipes. Some people like to boil the cut chestnuts for easier peeling. This is okay, though some nutrients and flavour will be lost. Prepare chestnuts. Peel off the outer shell and the fuzzy skin before using the inner chestnut meat. Heat the oil until hot and saute the onion until semi-tender. Add the celery and saute until both are very tender. Blend the water and apple juice with the chestnuts and all the remaining ingredients*. Simmer everything on low to medium heat (do NOT boil!) for about 15-20 minutes or until hot throughout and the flavours mingle. Enjoy this rich and tantalizing soup with extra chopped or ground nuts as a garnish. Keeps 4-6 days refrigerated. Note: *Two vegetable bouillon cubes may be used instead of the tamari or miso. Also, 1/2 cup applesauce and 2 1/2 cups water can be used instead of the juice and 2 1/4 cups water (blend together in blender before adding to pot.)