This is a wonderful and naturally creamy soup full of warm earthy notes that has a delicate nutty aroma & satisfying flavour from the chestnuts together with the addition of potatoes, apples and celery.
Enjoy sipping this soup plain during the colder months or sprinkle some roasted hazelnuts, chestnuts and slivers of apple as a garnish for a festive touch.
For a lavish finish, drizzle your favourite truffle or walnut oil after garnishing the soup.
Choose to serve this soup as a vegetarian dish by adding vegetable stock, otherwise, using chicken stock/bone broth will be perfect for non-vegetarians wishing to improve their gut health.
What makes this soup so naturally creamy?
A combination of the silky-smooth puree of chestnuts and potatoes thickens the soup naturally and adds a wonderful creamy texture. To remove any tiny bits or lumps, pour the soup through a sieve or a fine mesh colander using a silicon or wooden spoon to guide it.
Fresh versus Vacuum-Packed Chestnuts
FRESH CHESTNUTS
Selecting fresh chestnuts will need a bit of preparation: Start by soaking them in water for up to an hour * then score a cross at the side of each chestnut through the shell and stop once it reaches the chestnut flesh.
Roast them on a tray for 20-30 minutes in a moderately hot oven or on a charcoal BBQ/grill. Stir them often and eyeball them when they start to smell roasted and appear cracked and slightly charred. Test one or two early on to avoid overcooking them. They should taste buttery and appear yellow, not hard and dark brown.
Wait for the chestnuts to cool down slightly and peel the shell away from the chestnuts. Note that they are easier to peel when warm, therefore wear some gloves or use a tea towel to protect your hands.
* Soaking the chestnuts in water before roasting them makes it easier to peel the shells once they are roasted.
CAUTION: Make sure the chestnuts are scored crisscrossed through the shell, otherwise, they will crack open and can explode in your oven or onto you if roasting them on the BBQ/grill.
VACUUM-PACKED
For more convenience and to save time, plenty of supermarkets or online stores sell ready-roasted and peeled chestnuts in vacuum-sealed packaging.
As a last resort, chestnuts are also sold in jars but these tend to be on the pricey side. If finding them in tins, make sure to read the label thoroughly as they may likely be water chestnuts which is a totally different nut, used in Asian dishes!
Adding these crunchy hazelnuts, earthy roasted chestnuts, crisp apple and fresh parsley as a garnish, give this velvety soup a textural lift and full of interesting flavours.
If you want to make this chestnut soup even creamier and decadent, add 50 ml of single cream at the end of cooking for every 800 ml of prepared chestnut soup.
Chestnut & Potato Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
Chestnut & Potato Soup
- 1 white or yellow onion, roughly chopped
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 1-2 tbsp butter
- 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
- ½ red or green apple, peeled, cored and roughly chopped
- 180 g vacuum-packed chestnuts, cooked and peeled, roughly chopped
- 500 ml store-bought or homemade vegetable stock Use chicken stock if preferred for non-vegetarians
- 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped into small pieces
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- Salt and white pepper, season according to taste
Garnishing
- 20 g vacuum-packed chestnuts, cooked and peeled
- 2 tbsp hazelnuts, roasted
- ½ red or green apple, peeled and cored
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, shredded
- Truffle oil or walnut oil (optional)
Instructions
Chestnut & Potato Soup
- Fry the onions in the oil & butter for 5 mins or until transparent, stirring often. Avoid letting the onions catch colour as this will darken the soup and cause it to taste bitter.
- Add the celery, apple & chestnuts and fry for a further 5 mins. If needed, add more butter.
- Pour in the hot vegetable stock.
- Add the potatoes.
- Cover and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for 20 mins.
- Season with nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Taste and season more if needed.
- Using a handheld stick blender or a food processor, carefully blend the soup until smooth and creamy. Add some leftover hot stock or boiling water if it appears too thick.
- For a smoother texture, pour the soup through a sieve or a fine mesh colander using a silicon or wooden spoon to guide it.
Garnishing
- Chop the chestnuts coarsely and halve the hazelnuts.
- Place them on a small tray in a preheated oven at 180°C/350°F for 5 mins, stirring often to roast all their sides.
- Cut the apple into thin slices and then into small matchsticks. Do this step just before garnishing to keep the apple slices from going brown, otherwise, sprinkle some lemon over the apple slices.
- Combine the roasted nuts with the apple sticks.
- Thinly shred the parsley leaves.
Serving
- Pour the warm soup into each serving bowl and sprinkle the nut mixture over the soup, followed by the fresh parsley.
- Drizzle some truffle oil or walnut oil (optional) over the soup and serve immediately.
Notes
- Keeps chilled for 4 days.
- Suitable to freeze without the garnish toppings.
