by Winter Menu
Christmas is often a time for indulgence, whether it be treating yourself or loved ones to a special gift (or three), or enjoying the festivities with an abundance of good food and maybe too much champagne. After feasting on Duck Confit Parmentier and multiple serves of our favourite Chestnut Cream Pavlova for Christmas lunch, my husband asked for a simple vegetable soup for dinner later that night.
Cooking with Chestnuts
As I had some leftover chestnuts from lunch (which I had used to make my Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Pancetta), I thought they would marry beautifully with some celeriac and parsnips.
I had intended to roast the parnsips in maple syrup for a side dish at lunch, but as mashed potatoes featured in our main dish, I decided at the last minute to not overload everyone with carbohydrates.
Celeriac and Chestnut Soup
So here is a simple and heart-warming soup for when you need a light meal. But, if you are like me, some baguette slices toasted with Gruyère cheese, with maybe even some fried bacon, will make this soup extra special.
Our children are not always the best at eating their vegetables but, miraculously, they love slurping on puréed vegetable soups. And this soup got a big thumbs up from my son 🙂
Celeriac and Chestnut Soup
Ingredients
For the Soup
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small brown onion, roughly chopped
- 500 g (1 lb) celeriac, peeled and roughly chopped
- 500 g (1 lb) parsnips, (about 2-3 parsnips), peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 litre (4 cups) chicken stock, or vegetable stock
- 250 g (9 oz) cooked chestnuts, see Kitchen Notes
- sea salt
- white pepper, freshly cracked
To Serve
- double cream, or crème frâiche
- chives, finely chopped
Instructions
- Place the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
- Sauté the onions until they have softened.
- Add the celeriac and parsnips and give everything a good stir.
- Add the stock.
- Simmer over low-medium heat for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables have softened.
- Add the chestnuts and cook for a further 10 minutes.
- Purée the soup, either in a blender or using a hand-help soup blender.
- Return the soup to the saucepan and taste for seasoning.
- Add some sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. If the soup is too thick, add some more stock or boiling water.
- Serve with a dollop of crème frâiche and garnish with chives.
Kitchen Notes
- BUYING CHESTNUTS
I like to use chestnuts which have been pre-cooked and vacuum-sealed as they are readily available at my nearest supermarket. However, pre-cooked chestnuts which have been frozen or are sold in jars also work well in this recipe. - OVEN & STOVE TEMPERATURES
All recipes on this website have been tested on an induction stove and/or with a conventional oven (i.e. an oven without fan). All recipes on this website use temperatures for a conventional oven, unless otherwise mentioned. Convection ovens (i.e. fan-forced ovens) are typically 20°C/70°F hotter than conventional ovens, but please check your manufacturer’s handbook. - CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
I’ve never had chestnut soup but this looks and sounds so good. Perfect for a cool Evening!
Thanks, Stephanie! I love using chestnuts when they are in season, and they make a nice change to adding potatoes to thicken soup 🙂
This is a beautiful soup — I love the soft colors and it looks so creamy… I’m reaching into the screen with a spoon!
Thanks, Lisa! It’s one of our favourite soups, and it helps that the children like it too 🙂
I am absolutely enamoured with the beautiful, simple colour and presentation of this soup. Celeriac and chestnut are a wonderful combination, now I need a special occasion to whip this up!
No need for a special occasion! We make soups like these during the week, although chestnuts can be a special ingredient, depending on where you live.
What a beautiful color and texture of the soup. Love chestnuts and adding them to soup is something I have never tried before. I am going to give it a try.
I hope you will enjoy it! Using chestnuts is a bit like adding potatoes to thicken the soup, but you will also get that lovely nutty flavour.
This soup looks so creamy and delicious! I could eat soup every day for lunch! I look forward trying your recipe!
I also love soups at lunch. I usually always make a double batch of soup so there are plenty of leftovers, especially for lunch the following day 🙂
It’s snowing here right now, and this soup sounds AMAZING even though it’s still 10am! I wish I had chestnuts in my cabinet, because I’m stuck at home until my road gets cleared! I’ll look for them next time I’m at the supermarket!
Chestnuts make a great substitute to potatoes in soup as they also act as a thickener. I highly recommend using them in soups!
Such a simple and comforting soup!
This looks amazing! I cannot wait to give it a try!
Thank you for this recipe. Delicious and very easy, perfect for a winter lunch with fresh sourdough. I don’t eat dairy, so substituted avacado oil for the butter, and halved the vegetable stock and replaced it with soya milk. Also added some fresh thyme because I love fresh thyme:)
That’s wonderful to hear! I’m glad you were able to find some dairy substitutes – it sounds delicious!
Can I make it ahead and then warm it in the crockpot?
Yes, of course!
What a lovely soup! It’s perfect for the winter! The marriage of flavors is incredible — a delightful combination of earthy and sweet.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! My family love chestnuts, so this soup is often on the menu in our home during winter 🙂