Fem365: Fitness. Food. Femininity.

It takes a lot to get my husband excited about soup, but this one does the job. It’s rich and creamy, and full of deep, earthy flavors. It’s company-worthy. Yet easy!

I had never eaten a chestnut before moving to Germany. Once I tried them I was hooked! Unfortunately, “chestnut season” is over. I saw them all over the place in November and December, but alas, they’re no longer readily available. We found a pack of chestnuts on our recent trip to France and we snagged it (there were only two left). We probably won’t get to make this soup again until next Fall, but this is a recipe worth “sitting on” for 6 months to a year. I promise!

You can roast your own chestnuts (time consuming!), or buy pre-shelled/pre-cooked packs like this one (recommended for this recipe):

ready-to-eat packaged chestnuts

Dairy Free Chestnut Soup with Pan-Fried Mushrooms

Serves 3-4

• 2 Tbsp coconut oil or olive oil (or a combination of the two)
• l large carrot, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3.5 cups chicken stock
• 1 pack pre-cooked chestnuts (amounts to approx 1.5 cups of chestnuts when removed from package)
• 1/4 cup cooking sherry
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 tsp celery seeds
• 1/4 tsp caraway seeds
• 1/2 cup coconut milk (full-fat, from a can)
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp coconut or olive oil
• 15-20 mushrooms, sliced

Directions:

• Heat oil in medium soup pot over medium heat. When oil is nice and hot, add carrot, celery, garlic, and 1/4 tsp salt. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring frequently so garlic doesn’t burn.
• Add broth and chestnuts. Simmer 20 minutes.
• Add sherry, thyme, celery seeds, and caraway seeds. Simmer 5 minutes.
• Pour soup into a blender and puree until smooth (or use immersion blender right in your soup pot. I WISH I HAD ONE OF THOSE!!!) Pour pureed soup back into your soup pot and stir in coconut milk, nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste. I probably used an additional 1/2 tsp of salt… You may prefer more or less depending on the saltiness of your stock. Heat soup gently, just until it starts to simmer (3-5 minutes). Soup is done!
• Toward the end of your soup-cooking process, heat 1 Tbsp oil in large skillet. When oil is hot, spread sliced mushrooms in a single layer in skillet. Let sizzle for 2-3 minutes, then stir/flip, and let sizzle for another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.
• To serve, ladle soup into bowls and top with pan-fried mushrooms. You may want to sprinkle a bit of fresh parsley or dill on top of each serving for garnish… It looks pretty, but it’s not necessary.

so yum!