Chestnut Soup Recipe

A bowl of soup made from chestnuts from the top view.

This Chestnut Soup, also known as Chestnut Veloute, is a silky, creamy, and nutty dish that's perfect for the holiday or winter season. Enjoy it with crusty bread for a decadent weeknight meal, or serve it as a starter to accompany a spread of your favorite seasonal comfort foods.

Course Soup

Cuisine American/French

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 287kcal

Author Aysegul Sanford

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot or ½ small onion, chopped
1 medium-sized carrot chopped (~ ⅓ cup)
1 stalk celery chopped (~ ⅓ cup)
2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
2 ½ cups chestnuts cooked and peeled* - (about 15 oz.) plus more for garnish
1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
1 bay leaf
5 cups vegetable broth
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper or black pepper
¼ cup heavy cream - optional
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

Optional Toppings:

4 tablespoons creme fraiche
2 tablespoons fresh chives chopped
4 cooked bacon strips chopped (or turkey bacon) - non vegetarian option

Instructions

Cook the vegetables: Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven (or large saucepan) over medium heat. Add shallot, carrot, and celery. Cook, stirring regularly, for 5-7 minutes or until vegetables are softened.
Add the garlic: Add in the garlic and cook for one minute.
Add additional ingredients: Stir in the chestnuts, thyme, bay leaf, vegetable stock, and salt and pepper.
Cook the soup: Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes or until all the vegetables are fork-tender.
Puree the soup: Discard the bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, carefully puree the soup until it is creamy.
Add the heavy cream: If using, stir in the heavy cream. Bring it to a quick rolling boil. Give it a quick taste and add more if necessary.
Add the nutmeg: Right before serving, stir in the grated nutmeg.
Serve: Ladle into individual bowls and if preferred, garnish with your choice of toppings.

Video

Notes

This recipe makes 5-6 cups of chestnut soup, making it approximately 1 1/2 cups per serving. The calorie information listed below does not include the optional toppings.
Cooking Chestnuts: You can use store-bought chestnuts (affiliate link) or boil fresh chestnuts yourself. Alternatively, you can use roasted chestnuts to make this soup recipe.
To make it vegan: If you are following a plant-based diet, please omit using heavy cream, creme Fraiche, and bacon. This soup is naturally gluten-free with or without the optional ingredients.
Foam on top: You may end up with some foam on top after pureeing the soup. You can remove it with a spoon. Or do what I do, bring the soup to one last boil while stirring it constantly.
Bacon: If you want to cook the bacon on the stovetop, you can cook it in the same pot you will use to make the soup. Simply place the strips in a cold pot, arrange them in a single layer, and cook them over low heat until they are crispy. Transfer them to a paper towel, pour out the excess grease in the pot, and then follow the instructions starting with cooking the vegetables. You can also use Baked Turkey Bacon as a topping.
Store: Let the soup cool down to room temperature before storing. Transfer it into an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Freeze: Let it come to room temperature and store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw: To thaw from frozen, let the soup thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: Reheat in a saucepan on the stove, making sure to stir often as it heats up. The soup tends to thicken as it sits, so you may need to add a quarter cup of liquid to thin it out.

Nutrition