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Chestnut_soup

Silky Chestnut Soup 法式板栗浓汤

A seasonal and traditional French dish offering a taste of autumn
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
cooling (with cold water) 5 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine French, fusion

Equipment

  • 1 6-8" sauce pan
  • 1 10-12" frying pan (with a lid)
  • 1 Blender

Ingredients
  

  • 12-16 oz unshelled chestnut
  • 0.5 medium onion
  • 2 clove garlic
  • 1.5 tbsp butter
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 oz whole milk
  • 4 cups chicken stock

Instructions
 

  • Use a pair of scissors to score the chestnuts
  • Add water to the sauce pan, and heat it to boil on the stove at high heat
  • Add the scored chestnuts to the boiling water, and let it boil for 2-3 minutes
  • While boiling the chestnuts, put the frying pan onto stove, and heat up the pan
  • Pour out the water completely. Transfer the chestnuts to the frying pan, and cover it with a lid. Let the chestnuts roast for 60-90 seconds
  • Peel the chestnuts while they are still warm
  • There might be some chestnuts that are hard to peel. Simply remove the shell by using a knife to peel the skin
  • Mince the garlic and onion
  • Add the butter to the sauce pan, and place it onto the stove. Turn the heat to medium. Once the butter is molten, add garlic and onion
  • Sautee the garlic and onion for 2-3 minutes. Add the peeled chestnut and the chicken stock. Heat to boil, put the lid on, and let it simmer for 15-20 mins. Season with salt
  • Cool down the pan with a cold water bath. Transfer the mixture to the blender. Mix for about 20-30 seconds at high speed
  • Pour to serving bowls, add the milk, and warm it in the microwave
  • Add some decoration

Video

Notes

  • Removing the chestnut shell and skin is never easy for me. It seems the type of chestnut is pretty critical. Most of time this process works well, but sometimes I have to use a knife to peel the skin after removing the shell. 
  • I use whole milk instead of heavy cream. 
  • I don't have a hand mixer (immersion blender). Thus, I used a regular blender. If you like the soup to be very silk and smooth, mix for 60-90 seconds. The issue is that the soup could be very thick. 
Keyword chestnut, chestnut soup, French soup, soup, toasted chestnut, 板栗, 板栗浓汤