Try this Creamy Chestnut Soup recipe.
- Carbohydrate 40.4422500024936 g
- Cholesterol 48.0000000405768 mg
- Fat 15.6000000131875 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 15.4560000130657 g
- Saturated Fat 8.95200000756758 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (1426g)
- Sodium 206.220711162307 mg
- Sugar 40.4422500024936 g
- Trans Fat 1.8144000015338 g
- Calories 361 calories
Step-by-step
- Start by taking a small sharp knife and cutting a X into the bottom of each chestnut.
- Turn on the oven to 200oC and let heat up.
- Place them on a baking tray or a wire backing rack with small holes so it doesn’t fall through.
- Let them roast in the oven until they’ve clearly split open.
- Let cool before, shelling (this includes taking off the middle ‘lining’ not just the outer shell).
- Place them in a medium to large pot with 4 cups boiling water.
- Add in the chopped onion, celery, bay leaf parsley and paprika.
- Cover and boil for 30 minutes.
- Press through a strainer or cheesecloth, stir in 2 cups milk, and return to the stove.
- Rub together the butter and flour before adding to the soup. Remember to actually rub it together and not just add it separately, otherwise it clumps.
- Let heat up for one minute, sprinkle with some salt, and press it through a metal strainer with the back of a spoon or use a purée sieve if you happen to have one. Or purée in a blender, always easier, even if not correct.
- Serve hot.
Undercooking or improperly peeling the chestnuts ruins the texture of chestnut soup before simmering even begins. Scoring a deep 'X' into the flat side of each nut and roasting them at 200 degrees Celsius ensures the inner skin releases cleanly alongside the rigid outer shell. When dealing with variable yields or scaling quantities for larger groups, maintaining the ratio of starchy solids to liquid prevents the broth from turning thin or watery. Roasting also introduces a deeper caramelized flavor profile than raw blanching ever achieves. Boiling the shelled nuts with onion, celery, and a bay leaf for thirty minutes softens the dense starches completely.
Thickening requires combining flour and butter into a smooth paste rather than tossing them separately into the hot pot. Kneading equal parts softened fat and flour creates a traditional beurre manie that disperses evenly without forming stubborn lumps. Simmering this mixture for one minute activates the starch to bind the milk and cooking liquid together. Pressing the final mixture through a fine metal strainer or puree sieve removes any remaining fibrous particles from the celery or chestnut skins. For a dairy-free adaptation, substitute the whole milk with unsweetened almond milk and replace the butter with an equal weight of refined coconut oil.
