Have you seen Disney’s new movie Tangled yet? We went to go see it the day after Thanksgiving. It was the first movie we’ve taken 3 year old Julien to. We saw it in 3-D, and our son sat still and enthralled the whole time. He was memorized. In the movie the referenced chestnut soup, that’s what gave me the idea for this soup. It’s rich, creamy and full of winter spices, perfect for a cold day.
Yield: Serves 4
1 lb. chestnuts, scoured, boiled and shelled
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 leek, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
2 quarts chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 allspice berry, crushed
2 cloves, crushed
a dash of nutmeg
1 cup cream or milk
olive oil
1. First take chestnuts and with a sharp knife, place an x or one large slash through the skin. Then place chestnuts in your soup pot. Fill pot with enough water to cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 minutes and remove from heat. Remove their shells.
2. Preheat large soup pot. Drizzle with olive oil. Add celery, leek and carrots. Saute until softened. Add chicken stock, thyme, tarragon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg and chestnuts. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 – 40 minutes.
3. Puree soup with a submersible blender or with a regular blender in batches. Add soup back to the pot.
