CREAMY CHESTNUT SOUP
Author: Clean Team
Recipe type: Dinner
Serves: 2
This is creamy and delicious, comforting on a cold winter day and equally as amazing chilled in warmer months. It’s a wonderfully hearty and filling meal on its own or can be served in small shooters for an appetizer or as a side dish to a larger meal, especially during the holidays.
Ingredients
- 1 15-ounce can or jar of peeled and pre-roasted organic chestnuts OR about 8 ounce dried chestnuts
- 3 cups organic vegetable or chicken broth or stock
- ¾ cup nut or rice milk, unsweetened
- 2 medium shallots, peeled and chopped
- 1 Tbl. coconut oil
- ¼ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- 3 leeks, coarse green stalks discarded, and the white ends sliced into coin sized rounds
- ¼ tsp. ground thyme or the leaves of a few thyme sprigs (3 or 4)
- ¼ tsp. ground cardamom
- Pinch of nutmeg
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- If you are using dried chestnuts, put them in a medium pot over low heat with 3 cups of water and cook, covered, for 30-45 minutes or until tender. Save the cooking liquid to use in the soup.
- In a large pot over medium-low heat cook the leeks and shallots in the coconut oil, stirring often until they are tender and browned, about 10 minutes. Add the chestnuts (either from the jar or the recently cooked ones) and the broth or stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring every so often for about 20 minutes, then add the nut or rice milk, pecans, cardamom, nutmeg and thyme.
- Remove from heat, allowing to cool a bit and either puree in batches in a blender or food processor; or my preferred method is with a hand-held immersion blender right in the pot.
- Season the entire soup with salt in the pot after it’s smooth.
- Serve warm, garnish with a dash of freshly ground pepper in each bowl.