Chestnut Soup

Chestnut soup is rich, creamy, and full of comforting flavors. This easy recipe combines earthy chestnuts, fresh vegetables, and a touch of cream for a satisfying dish. It's simple to prepare and perfect for lunch or a light dinner.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Keyword chestnuts, pureed soup

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 367kcal

Author Elizabeth Rodriguez

Ingredients

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 medium Onion diced
1 medium Carrot diced
1 Celery Rib diced
1-2 Garlic Cloves minced
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg preferably fresh ground
¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
½ cup White Wine
12 ounces Cooked Chestnuts boiled or roasted, peeled, and cut in halves or quarters then roughly chopped
3 cups Chicken Broth
1-2 Thyme Sprigs
¼ cup Half and Half or heavy cream
Salt to taste if needed at the end
Chopped Parsley for garnish optional

Instructions

Heat the olive oil in a large pot (at least 4 quarts) over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook gently for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the garlic, nutmeg, and black pepper. Stir well and cook for 1 minute, stirring often.
Slowly pour in the white wine while stirring. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until most of the wine has evaporated, stirring frequently.
Add the chestnuts, chicken broth, and thyme sprigs to the pot. Stir well. Raise the heat to high and bring the soup to a boil (this will take about 3–4 minutes). Then, lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir occasionally and adjust the heat as needed to maintain a gentle simmer. Remove and discard the thyme sprigs with tongs or a slotted spoon.

Process the soup

Take the pot off the heat. Use an immersion blender to process the soup in the pot until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a countertop blender (see cook’s Notes 1 below for safety tips).
Return the soup to low heat. Stir in the half and half, and cook gently for 5 minutes to heat through. Taste and adjust the salt if needed. (As a reference, we added ¼ teaspoon to ours.)
Garnish the soup with a little chopped parsley and serve with crusty bread (like we do), croutons, crackers, or a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.

Notes

To safely blend hot soup: Do not fill the blender more than halfway with hot liquid.
- Remove the center piece (feeder cap) from the blender lid to allow steam to escape.
- Secure the lid firmly and cover the opening with a clean, folded kitchen towel.
- Hold the towel in place and start blending at the lowest speed, gradually increasing if needed.
- Blend in small batches to reduce the risk of hot liquid splattering
Using precooked and peeled chestnuts makes this soup easy and convenient. Find them in vacuum-sealed packs (like we used), canned, or jarred.
To make chopping the chestnuts easier, cut them in half so they sit flat. This prevents them from rolling around while you chop.
If the soup is too thick after processing, add broth one tablespoon at a time, stirring in between, until the desired consistency is reached. Heat on medium-low to low until warmed through.

Nutrition