Chestnut Mushroom Soup

When Thanksgiving rolls around, everyone in my family is expected to pitch in. The host makes the turkey, someone else makes sides, you get the idea. For the last several years my commission has been soup. But not just any soup, my chestnut mushroom soup. Chestnuts scream that the holiday season is upon us and they are also the source of the wonderful richness of the soup. The first time I made this recipe I was asked how much cream I used...but there is none in the recipe and I'm sure that if you try it you'll agree it completely unnecessary. 2 other things are especially notable about the soup: it's easy to make and it's extremely flexible to different variations.

I've reproduced the recipe for the latest batch of my holiday soup...I hope you enjoy.

1 jar whole chestnuts (14.8 oz) - I've roasted fresh chestnuts and they are honestly not worth the hassle.

1 oz. dried mushrooms (rehydrated), liquid reserved -- I used mixed wild mushrooms for my latest batch, but you can use any variety you might have on hand

(mushrooms and chestnuts, pictured at left)

4 cups chicken/vegetable stock -- chicken stock is richer, but it's you can make this dish vegetarian by using vegetable stock and not lose much

3 cups celery, chopped

3/4 cup onion, chopped

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil in dutch oven or pot (at least 4 qt. capacity). After oil is heated, add chopped celery and onion. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the contents turn translucent, approximately 10 minutes.

2. Add stock, chestnuts, rehydrated mushrooms and reserved mushroom liquid (if the liquid looks gritty, be careful not to add the grit). Bring mixture to boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partly covered, for 30 minutes.

3. Let soup cool. Puree in blender. Add additional salt and pepper (if necessary). Reheat and enjoy.

(picture is pre-puree...kinda forgot about the "finished" pic...sigh...)

Yields: approximately 8 cups

Tips: I tend to "under-season" in step 1 because as Mom taught me, you can always add more, if needed. going in the opposite direction...not so easy.

I will often sautee thinly sliced mushrooms in olive oil and place 2-3 strips as a garnish on top of the bowl. It's a nice presentation. You can also garnsih with finely chopped chestnuts or parsley.

You can stretch the soup a bit by adding more stock. This is pretty rich, so thinning it out a bit won't hurt much.

If you want an extra-special treat, sautee some bacon (preferably thick cut), removing it from the pan when it first starts to crisp. Then, sautee the veggies in the bacon fat instead of olive oil in step 1 and follow the recipe as written above and garnish with the bacon.