Ingredients
Scale
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