Vegan Chestnut Soup with roasted Mushrooms and spicy Nut Topping
Chestnuts – what a beautiful word! They bring to mind a sweet aroma, a crackle of fire, and cozy warmth! At some Christmas markets, chestnuts are roasted traditionally over the embers of a small stove, and people eat them hot straight out of a little paper bag. They taste mildly sweet and starchy, warming your hands and filling you with comforting happiness. So, when you take your first stroll through a Christmas market, keep an eye out for them!
This fall, however, I got to rediscover chestnuts in a new way, thanks to my partner. Like the chestnut itself, he is originally from France, where people often enjoy a wonderfully creamy chestnut soup in the fall before roasted chestnuts arrive at the Christmas markets. The soup is straightforward and quick to make, with a deliciously savory-sweet flavor and the same comforting effect – so from October to December, it usually finds its way onto our table at least once a week.
A perfect topping for this soup is some savory sautéed mushrooms with fresh thyme and nuts – you can use any variety of mushrooms you find at the organic market or grocery store and even mix them up. The more colorful, the tastier!
But one thing is essential: don’t rush off to the nearest park to gather chestnuts in your excitement and appetite! The edible chestnut is a particular, unique variety that’s grown specifically for eating. The chestnuts you’ll find on streets around here aren’t edible, though they’re perfect for crafting little chestnut animals while the soup simmers on the stove.
Vegan Chestnut Soup with roasted Mushrooms and spicy Nut Topping
Ingredients
For the Soup:
- 400 g (14 oz) cooked chestnuts
- 150 g (5.25 oz) mushrooms
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 50 ml (1.75 fl oz) vegan white wine
- 600 ml (2.5 cups) vegetable broth
- 130 ml (0.5 cup) vegan cooking cream
- Salt
- Pepper
For the Toppings:
- 250 g (8.75 oz) mushrooms
- 2 tbsp vegan butter (divided)
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 100 g (3.5 oz) mixed nuts
- chili flakes
- cinnamon
To Serve:
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 baguette
- pepper
Instructions
Finely chop the chestnuts, mushrooms, onion, and garlic for the soup.
Melt vegan butter in a large pot and sauté the onion and garlic until the onion pieces are translucent. Add the chestnuts and mushrooms and sauté for about 5 minutes until browned. Deglaze with vegan white wine. Then add vegetable broth and vegan cream and stir well. Let the soup simmer on medium heat for about 10 minutes.
In the meantime, clean the mushrooms and slice them for the topping. Melt a tablespoon of vegan butter in a pan and sauté the mushroom slices until they are well browned, adding the leaves from four thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper only after cooking.
Chop the nuts. Melt a tablespoon of butter in a small pan. Add nuts, chili flakes, and cinnamon to taste, and toast until the nuts are well browned. Then transfer to a bowl.
Purée the soup and serve with the mushroom and nut topping, fresh pepper, the remaining thyme leaves, and sliced baguette.
