Roast Chestnut Soup

Roast Chestnut soup

This Roast Chestnut Soup has all the wonderful nutty flavours of Christmas in a bowl.  I’m actually serving mine in these little bowls as I don’t want the guests to get too full.  It’s just a little teaser, bursting with flavour to warm the pallet.  It 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
• roughly 10 chestnut mushrooms – chopped
• 2 x 200g sachets of Merchant Gourmet chestnut puree (not the sweetened kind)
• 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 and roasted chestnuts, 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

My Sixmas Dinner so far:

• Course 1 –  The Christmas Spritz
• Course 2 – Chestnut and Mushroom Soup
• Course 3 – Smoked Salmon Terrine
• Course 4 –  The Main Event
• Course 5 – Mini Christmas Cakes with naughty chocolate sauce
• Course 6 – Champagne Marmalade Trifle

Eat and of course, enjoy!