Creamy Chestnut Soup
This creamy chestnut soup, or “Soupe Aux Marrons” is a wholesome soup and a French favorite all throughout Winter. Fresh chestnuts are simmered in an aromatic broth and then pureed until smooth, creating a luxuriously thick, creamy texture with the full-on sweet buttery taste of fresh chestnuts. This is a delicious starter to cozy up to and impress with over the Holiday season. Fresh chestnuts are the stars of this soup. Indeed, this soup recipe takes a simplistic approach and is all about allowing the taste of fresh, seasonal chestnuts…
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 40 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 2lbs (900g) fresh chestnuts (*or 800g peeled, cooked chestnuts - see cooking note above)
- 3 cups (750ml) low-sodium chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup (125ml) heavy cream (35% m.f)¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- Crème fraiche (for garnish)
- Chive, finely chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- 1
Step 1 (to unpeel fresh chestnuts, see section above for detailed instructions*) - Score your chestnuts with an “X”, deep enough to cut through the outer skin and transfer the chestnuts to a pot of cold water. Bring the water to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the chestnuts from the water, wrap them in a kitchen towel and let cool until cool enough to handle and peel the chestnuts.
- 2
Step 2 – Fill a large pot over medium heat with the chicken stock and chestnuts. Add the bay leaf, bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 25-30 minutes with a lid on (or only 15-20 minutes if using already cooked chestnuts), until the chestnuts are fork-tender.
- 3
Reserve about 4-6 chestnuts aside and chop them roughly (for garnish later). Discard the bay leaf.
- 4
Step 3 – Using an immersion blender, mix the chestnuts until smooth. – or, working in batches, purée soup in a blender until smooth and return soup to saucepan. Stir in the heavy cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook soup for 3-5 extra minutes until slightly thick. If the soup is too thin for your liking, continue to cook it. If the soup is too creamy-thick for your liking, stir in more water or heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time.
- 5
For serving, ladle soup into individual bowls. Top each bowl with 1 tablespoon of crème fraiche, chopped chive and the reserved chopped chestnuts. Enjoy immediately.