Chestnut Soup with Thyme - Seasonal Recipe

Chestnut Soup with Thyme

🌍 Seasonal, Autumn Difficulty: ●●●○○

Chestnuts were the staple starch of rural populations in the Apennines and Pyrenees for centuries, called "the bread tree"; entire communities subsisted on them through winter, and chestnut soup remains a beloved autumn tradition in France, Italy, and Portugal.

Ingredients

• 400g (14 oz) cooked chestnuts (vacuum-packed is fine; or roast fresh ones)
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 shallots, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 litre (4 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
• 120ml (½ cup) dry white wine
• 60ml (¼ cup) heavy cream
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt, black pepper, and a grating of nutmeg
• Fried shallots and fresh thyme to garnish

Method

1. Melting — Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion, shallots, celery, and carrot until very soft, about 10 minutes.
2. Adding — Add garlic, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf; cook 2 minutes.
3. Adding — Add wine; let it reduce by half.
4. Adding — Add chestnuts and stock. Simmer 20 minutes.
5. Removing — Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Blend until completely smooth.
6. Stirring — Stir in cream. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
7. Serving — Serve topped with a few drops of cream, crispy fried shallots, and fresh thyme.

Tags: cooked chestnuts, onion, shallots, garlic, celery stalk · Source: Brittani's Almanac