chestnut & mushroom soup

I love this chestnut & mushroom soup.  It’s one of the first soups my mum taught me how to make and whilst it sounds all fancy it’s actually really basic and simple to make yet tastes divine and a little unusual.  This soup has all the wonderful nutty flavours you’d associate with Christmas and it’s actually my go-to Christmas Day starter but I so rarely make it now that I thought I’d give it a little November run now that the weather has turned all autumnal. A big batch of this would be ideal for Bonfire Night.

This chestnut & mushroom soup can be made up to a month in advance and frozen or make it a couple of days before as it will keep well in the fridge.

• 1 large onion – finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk – finely chopped
• 2 medium carrots – finely chopped
• 300g chestnut mushrooms – chopped
• 400g tin of chestnut puree – be careful not to get the sweetened kind (Merchant Gourmet now sell these handy pouches)
• 1 litre of good quality vegetable stock

in a large pan, sauté the onions, celery and carrots in butter until soft and the onions are beginning to turn translucent

add the chopped mushrooms, stir and then place the lid on the pan and let them sweat down for 10 minutes

add the stock and then the chestnut puree, let it simmer for 25 minutes before blitzing until totally smooth, with a hand-blender. Serve with a swirl of cream

eat and of course, enjoy!