Not only is December chestnut season, and not only do I love them and all excuses to make chestnut recipes, but my dear friend Anna has just given birth to a beautiful son, and the only thing she has ever asked from me (from a culinary perspective) is for Chestnut Soup. Okay, that’s not quite the whole story, she actually said that the soup was so good that it inspired her to want to bathe in it, and gee, could I make that happen? So when her son was born, I knew just what to do, and I bet you have already guessed that it involved this Chestnut Soup for Anna. You know how you’re supposed to bring presents and casseroles etc. when your friends give birth? And then everyone brings lasagnas all at once, right at the beginning while the mother and the mother-in-law are still hovering close by? Well, that’s not when I stop in with food. I wait. I wait until the mothers have left and maybe dad is back to work and then I bring soup. In perfect single serving containers and I fill the freezer with it. So for Anna, it had to be Chestnut Soup. There’s a reason this soup is so easily her favorite. It’s rich and creamy, nutty with a hint of floral, and the grappa cream garnish balances out the richness so perfectly. So did she finally get her dream? Was there enough chestnut soup to bathe in? Not quite. But there was definitely enough to bathe the baby. But knowing Anna, she saved it for some cold winter days when she was home alone, and didn’t feel like figuring out her own lunch, and enjoyed her favorite, courtesy of Dirty Laundry Kitchen. I love my tradition of bringing the new mom’s favorite soup in mass quantity. It’s a tradition you might want to consider yourself, and between this Chestnut Soup for Anna and a beautiful new baby, I’m sure that 2015 is going to be an amazing year.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium shallots, sliced (½ cup)
- 1 cup diced peeled celery root
- ¾ pound white mushrooms, sliced
- One 14-ounce jar vacuum-packed roasted chestnuts, coarsely chopped
- 4 cups vegetable stock or low-sodium broth
- ¼ cup Cognac
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 1 sage sprig
- 1 thyme sprig, plus 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, for garnish
- 1 cup milk
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper
- Grappa Whipped Cream for Garnish
- In a large saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the shallots and celery root and cook until the celery root is just tender, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the vegetables to a bowl, leaving the fat in the saucepan.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the saucepan along with the mushrooms and all but 2 tablespoons of the chestnuts. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have released their liquid and are slightly softened, 6 minutes.
- Add a little of the chicken stock and the celery root mixture and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the Cognac and cook until evaporated, 2 minutes.
- Add the bay leaf, sage and thyme sprigs to the saucepan along with the remaining stock (minus 1 cup or so) . Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Discard the bay leaf, sage and thyme.
- Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender until creamy and smooth. Use the remaining stock to "rinse" the blender and return with the rest of the soup to the saucepan. Stir in the milk and heavy cream; season with salt and white pepper and keep warm.
- To serve, ladle the soup into small bowls.
- Dollop the grappa cream on top, garnish with the thyme leaves and the reserved 2 tablespoons of chestnuts and serve.
- The original is not vegetarian. I have made it both ways, and while of course, it doesn't taste exactly the same, I like both, and since I originally made this for Thanksgiving, of course, I chose the vegetarian route.
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons grappa
- salt
- white pepper
- Using a mixer (stand or handheld works) whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form.
- Beat in the grappa and season with salt and pepper.
