miniChef

Chestnut soup

Classic chestnut soup with leeks, garlic, and aromatic herbs.

🌐 gotvach.com
🌍 Bulgarian

Ingredients

1 kg fresh chestnuts

1 head of leek

1-2 cloves of garlic

1.5 L chicken broth

3-4 dried mushrooms

2-3 tbsp butter

celery

nutmeg

black pepper

salt

Method

Wash 1 kg of fresh chestnuts under running cold water and place them in a pot. With a sharp knife, make a light cross-cut in the thin part of each chestnut to prevent them from bursting while boiling.
Pour water into the pot so that it covers the chestnuts, and place it on high heat. When the water boils, reduce the heat to medium and let the chestnuts boil for about 10 minutes.
After the chestnuts are boiled, drain them and let them cool slightly so you can peel them more easily. While they are still warm, peel the chestnuts from their shells and inner skin.
In another pot, bring 1.5 L of chicken broth to a boil over high heat. When the broth boils, add 1 leek, finely chopped, 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped, and 1 stalk of celery, cut into cubes about 1 cm.
Reduce the heat to medium and let the vegetables cook in the broth for about 10 minutes, until they soften. Stir occasionally.
Add 1 kg of peeled chestnuts to the broth with the vegetables. Let the soup boil over medium heat for about 35 minutes, until the chestnuts are completely soft and the soup thickens slightly.
Add 3 dried mushrooms to the soup. If the mushrooms are larger, you may cut them into smaller pieces. Let the soup boil for another 10 minutes, until the mushrooms soften.
Add 2 tbsp of butter to the soup and stir until it melts completely. Then add 1 pinch of nutmeg, 1 pinch of black pepper, and 1 pinch of salt.
Taste the soup and add more salt or black pepper to taste, if necessary. Stir well and let the soup simmer over low heat for another 1-2 minutes.
Remove the soup from the heat and serve it hot.