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Roasted Chestnut Soup

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BY Mark Bittman

PUBLISHED December 12, 2022

Throughout the northern Mediterranean littoral, chestnuts not only grow on trees; they fall to the ground each autumn and are, for many people, a free crop. (They once did the same on this continent, but blight wiped them out.)

The first fall I visited northern Italy, I saw them drop and realized there were more than anyone could possibly eat. As a result, they are used in a much wider array of dishes there than they are here. This is a rich soup, one that can be made in a matter of minutes with cooked, frozen, or even canned chestnuts, and the results are inevitably good. You can add flavor and substance to the soup by rendering a quarter cup or so of diced slab bacon, reserving the solids for a garnish and using some of the fat to sauté the celery and onion. A cup or so of shiitake mushroom caps, sliced and sauteed until crisp, makes a spectacular garnish if you happen to have some around. You can also add a little splash of port just before serving to give this a bit of a kick.

 

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Roasted Chestnut Soup

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 1 hour or less

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 10 large chestnuts, peeled or unpeeled
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter
  • 2 cups chopped celery
  • 1/2 cup chopped onion
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 cups good chicken stock
  • Chopped celery leaves or parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. If you have peeled chestnuts, proceed to Step 2. Otherwise, preheat oven to 350°F. Using a sharp paring knife, make an X on the flat side of each chestnut. Roast in an open pan for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the skins begin to open away from the meat. Remove both outer and inner skins while chestnuts are warm.

2. Place olive oil or butter in deep skillet or casserole and turn heat to medium. A couple of minutes later, add celery, onion and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add stock and chestnuts, bring to a boil and partly cover. Lower heat, and simmer until chestnuts are mushy, about 30 minutes.

3. Carefully puree the soup in batches in a blender (or with an immersion blender) or cool and then puree. Measure and add water to total 6 cups of liquid. Reheat, adjust seasoning if necessary and serve, garnished with celery leaves or parsley.

— Recipe from The New York Times

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