Recipe: Chestnut Soup Recipe

Hi Terry,

Kelly informed me that you had requested this recipe. It took a little while to find, but here it is. Below it are some ideas for substitutions and/or changes that might make it easier.

Celery Root & Chestnut Soup

Makes 6 servings

This soup is ideal for holiday entertaining or any cold winter's night. The dried chestnuts are worth the search. Look for them in Asian markets and specialty food stores. They impart a velvety smooth texture and a nutty, slightly smoky flavor to the soup and, although chestnuts give food a creamy quality, they are in reality low in fat.

2 leeks, washed, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup dry sherry, dry white wine, nonalcoholic white wine, or vegetable stock
2 teaspoons dried thyme
4 bay leaves
2 celery roots, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
8 cups light vegetable stock
4 ounces dried chestnuts, rinsed well and drained 1 teaspoon minced lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
2 tablespoons white miso
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Rice milk or soy milk to thin soup, if needed

1 lemon, cut into thin wheels, for garnish
Chopped fresh tarragon, for garnish

In a large soup pot, cook the leeks, garlic, salt, and sherry over medium heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes, or until the leeks are tender and starting to caramelize. Add the thyme, bay, celery root, stock, and chestnuts.

Cover and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the celery root and chestnuts are soft. Add the lemon zest, nutmeg, tarragon, pepper, miso, and salt. Remove from heat and discard the bay leaves. In a blender, blend the soup in batches until smooth. Add rice milk to thin soup to the desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish each serving with a few drops of dry sherry, a lemon wheel, and some chopped tarragon.

From "The Millenium Cookbook," by Eric Tucker * John Westerdahl, 10 Speed Press, 1998.

I imagine you could use celery in place of the celery root, if you can't find the root. I would guess about 3 stalks for each root. For the miso you could substite some chicken bouillon - start with a small amount and then add more to taste - this is to give the soup some depth of flavor and to add salt simultaneously. For the rice milk, you could thin it with chicken stock or any kind of milk. If fresh tarragon is difficult to find, perhaps toss some ground fennel seeds into the soup. Again, start with a small amount and taste. You can always add more if you feel it needs it. As for the dried chestnuts, I have never used them. I would consider using fresh though.

Keep in mind that I haven't made this recipe. But these subsitution ideas are what quickly came to mind as I was typing up the message for you.

Hope this is helpful,
Seppo