There’s something so comforting about a bowl of rich, creamy soup when the weather cools down, and roasted chestnut soup is one of those holiday season classics I look forward to each year. This soup is unusual, a little mysterious, and has a rich but light flavor. Plus chestnuts! I love them and they are so underutilized, so I try and find as many uses for them as I can. My recipe adds an unexpected twist by starting with a quick katsuobushi broth. Don’t worry – there’s no fishiness here, just a beautiful trace of a slightly smoky layer that brings out the sweetness of the chestnuts.
Roasted chestnut soup makes a very elegant starter for a holiday dinner party, but it couldn’t be easier to prepare. Plus this is a great way to use up those chestnuts we roasted together last week! If you’re looking for a holiday starter or a warm-up treat for winter chilled nights this soup is the one, so let’s get into it!
I start making my Roasted Chestnut Soup by steeping a katsuobushi broth. Katsuobushi, also known as bonito flakes, is made from dried, smoked, and fermented skipjack tuna. It has an absolutely beguiling smell, and adds a subtle smokiness. You can find it in most well stocked Asian/Japanese markets and of course online.
This stock is amazing because it’s almost instant. You only need 10 mins of steeping and you get a beautiful golden broth. No cooking necessary. As soon as the water comes to a boil, dump the flakes in, and take the pot off of the heat.
While that’s steeping I move on to dicing and sautéing my onions.
Keep an eye on the onions; we want them nice and soft but not browned; caramelized onions would overpower the chestnut flavor. Slow and low is the way to go. Turn down the heat a little if you start to see some color. When the onions are translucent, I add the other ingredients. Strain the broth straight into the pot and press down on the solids to get all of the liquid.
I let it simmer, covered, for about five minutes. The fragrance will start to fill your kitchen and then it’s time to blend it. Very carefully transfer the soup to your blender. Make sure you don’t go over the maximum fill line-better to blend in two batches. Also, you will want to leave the feed tube open and covered tightly with a kitchen towel. Then pulse the soup slowly at first to blend it. This is so you don’t build up steam and pressure in the blender cup which could end up burning you or result in roasted chestnut soup on your ceiling…If all of that sounds too hazardous, you can either use an immersion blender or simply let the soup cool off before blending.
The only thing left to do is taste for seasoning and serve. I’ve served the soup simply here but a splash of heavy cream, a garnish with some additional chopped roasted chestnuts, or a little splash of sherry wouldn’t be out of place either, tis the season!
In our house, we love serving this with a side of bread – the rich creaminess of roasted chestnut soup practically begs for a good dunk.
I hope this rich and creamy take on Roasted Chestnut Soup adorns your holiday table this year; it’s so easy and your guests will love its sophisticated East meets West flavors. So grab those roasted chestnuts, or pick up some bags of ready to eat bags at the store, and get ready to enjoy a soup that’s as warm and inviting as the season itself. Let me know what you think below, and tag us in your pics @funkyasiankitchen, we love hearing from you!
Roasted Chestnut Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: serves 4
- Category: soup
- Cuisine: pan-Asian
Ingredients
Broth:
- 4 cups water
- ¼ ounce katsuo bushi (a small handful)
Soup:
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 cups roasted and peeled chestnuts, about 12 ounces
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Fresh ground pepper to taste
Garnish:
- A couple tablespoons of heavy cream
- A couple tablespoons chopped chestnuts
- Some parsley sprigs
Instructions
- Make the broth: Bring the water to a boil in a small pot. Add the katsuo bushi and turn the heat off.
- Let the katsuo bushi steep for at least 10 minutes while continuing with the soup.
- Make the soup: Heat a medium sized pot over medium heat for several minutes.
- Add the butter and onions. Cook for 10-12 minutes until the onions are very soft and translucent. Lower the heat a little if the onions start to brown.
- Add the chestnuts, maple syrup, salt, and ground pepper. Pour the broth into the pot using a strainer. Discard or repurpose the used katsuo bushi.
- Bring to a simmer over high heat and then cover with a lid and lower the heat to medium. Simmer the soup for 5-7 minutes.
- Carefully transfer the soup to a blender. Open the feeding tube, cover the opening with a kitchen towel, and carefully pulse the soup at first (these are precautions to keep the hot soup from bursting out of the blender cup). Blend the soup until smooth.
- Pour the soup back into a clean pot and check for seasoning. The soup should be creamy and slightly thick. Add a little water if it seems too thick.
- Serve immediately with a splash of heavy cream, a sprinkling of chestnuts, or a sprig of parsley.
Notes
*To make this vegetarian, swap the bonito stock for vegetable stock.
Keywords: roasted chestnuts, holiday, soup, katsuobushi
