Deliciously earthy, this Creamy Mushroom and Chestnut Soup is perfect not just for winter, but for whenever chestnuts are in season. After all, it’s always soup season somewhere!
Winter is as synonymous with soup as it is with chestnuts, and this rich but wholesome Creamy Mushroom and Chestnut Soup is comfort in a bowl. It’s a delicious seasonal soup made for taking advantage of nutrient-dense mushrooms and fresh buttery chestnuts.
Why you’ll Love this Creamy Mushroom and Chestnut Soup Recipe
- Full of flavour. The deep earthy flavours from both the mushrooms and the chestnuts are lifted by the thyme and bay leaf.
- Easy to make. While a little time consuming, the hardest part of making this soup is peeling the chestnuts. Save it for a special weekend dinner when you have a bit more time for a slow cook.
- Built-in snack. Roast a few extra chestnuts to snack on while you finish making the soup.
- Customisable. If you don’t have crème fraiche you can substitute sour cream, heavy cream or even a little milk. Or, leave the dairy out completely and make it vegan.
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What are Chestnuts?
Chestnuts are an edible nut (technically fruit but hey) that grow in green spiky husks. Underneath the shiny brown shell is the creamy white nut that’s popular in many different cuisines. The most commonly eaten chestnut is the sweet chestnut, also called the Spanish chestnut.
Did you know chestnuts can be eaten raw? Though usually they’re cooked as the thin, fibrous inner skin under the outer shell is very hard to remove when raw. Common cooking methods include, roasting, boiling and steaming. While some cooking methods lend themselves to certain recipes, roasting is by far the preferred way to cook chestnuts, hence the pop culture references!
Once cooked, chestnuts soften in texture and have an almost sweet buttery flavour that can be reminiscent of sweet potato.
Beware the water and horse chestnut! Sweet chestnuts and water chestnuts might share a name, but they’re completely different. Water chestnuts, a popular ingredient in Chinese cooking, grow in marshlands and have a different flavour and texture to sweet chestnuts. And before you go foraging for chestnuts, make sure you know the difference between the edible chestnut and the horse chestnut, which are toxic.
How to Roast Chestnuts
For this Creamy Mushroom and Chestnut Soup, I’ve roasted the chestnuts. Here’s a quick rundown on how to roast these nuts so you can remove both the shell and the skin easily:
- Scoring. Traditionally, you see chestnuts scored with a tiny little X in the centre. But making larger cuts means a larger surface area of the shell splits open during roasting, making it easier for you to peel. I like to make a cut along both sides and along the top of the rounded side using scissors.
- Roasting. Place the scored chestnuts in a single layer on a baking tray, cut side up. Don’t overcrowd the pan or the shells won’t have room to expand. They’re ready once the shells and skins have pulled back and nut beneath has softened.
- Steaming. Once the chestnuts have split open and are roasted through and fragrant, take them out of the oven and put them in a towel-lined bowl. Wrap the ends of the towel over the top and let the chestnuts steam as they’re kept warm – cold chestnuts, even after roasting, are harder to peel.
- Peeling. Once the chestnuts are cool enough to handle, begin peeling them one by one, making sure to keep the rest covered. Remove both the outer shell and the inner skin, which after roasting should have become more brittle and easier to lift or rub away.
Creamy Mushroom and Chestnut Soup Recipe Ingredients
You can serve this Creamy Mushroom and Chestnut Soup as an entrée to a multi-course meal or a main with fresh, crusty bread and a side of greens beans. Here’s everything you’ll need to make this earthy and nutty soup recipe:
- Chestnuts. I love the flavour of freshly roasted chestnuts, and if you roast a few extra, you have a tasty snack for when your soup is simmering. But you can boil them if you prefer, or use pre-peeled or easy-to-peel chestnuts. Just don’t substitute chestnuts with water chestnuts, they’re completely different in flavour and texture.
- Mushrooms. I use Swiss brown mushrooms, aka baby bella, aka cremini mushrooms, as they have a more developed ‘mushroom’ flavour, but you can easily substitute white button mushrooms. I tend to not use shitake mushrooms in this recipe as I find the shitakes overpower the delicate chestnut flavour.
- Aromatics. Namely, a brown onion and two cloves of garlic. The garlic is subtle, so add an extra clove or two if you like a stronger flavour. Feel free to sub the brown onion out for a shallot or two or the white part of a leek.
- Herbs. Thyme is the perfect pairing for both mushrooms and chestnuts, and it brings a savoury-sweet more complex earthy flavour to the soup. I’ve used fresh bay leaves, torn a little to enhance the flavour, but dry bay leaves can be used as well, just toss an extra one in. If you don’t have either, you can substitute oregano.
- Olive oil and butter. A mix of the two to sauté the aromatics and mushrooms.
- Stock. I was making a vegetarian soup so used vegetable stock. I find it has a cleaner and fresher taste, letting the mushroom and chestnut flavour shine. Chicken or beef stock would make for a richer, more decadent soup, if you prefer.
- Crème fraiche. A super rich soured cream, crème fraiche adds creaminess, richness, and a slight hint of tanginess to balance out the earthy mushrooms. You can substitute with sour cream, heavy cream, or a splash of milk (in that order). Or leave the dairy out for a vegan soup.
Find the exact quantities in the recipe card below.
Love soup season? Try these recipes too:
Have you made this Creamy Mushroom and Chestnut Soup yet? Be sure to leave a comment and let me know. Were your chestnuts easy to peel? Did you add the crème fraiche? Or take a pic and tag me over on Instagram, I love seeing what you guys are making from the blog!
Creamy Mushroom and Chestnut Soup
Ingredients
- 180 g roasted chestnuts, about 220g raw chestnuts, peeled and halved
- 1 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 brown onion, chopped
- 400 g Swiss brown mushrooms or button mushrooms, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, freshly picked
- 2 bay leaves, fresh if you can find them
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup crème fraiche
Instructions
- If you’re roasting your own chestnuts, preheat the oven to 200°C. Carefully make slices along both sides and across the top of the rounded side using scissors or a small pairing knife. Making multiple cuts will allow a larger surface area to split open, making them easier to peel. Make sure to cut through both the shell and the skin below, but try not to cut the nut itself (though it’s not the end of the world if you do).180 g roasted chestnuts
- Arrange the nuts on a baking tray in a single layer, cut side up, making sure to leave some space around each nut. Roast the chestnuts for 30-35 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when the shell and skin has pulled away, exposing the nut beneath, and they’re golden brown, tender and fragrant.
- Remove the chestnuts from the oven, and tip them out into a tea towel-lined bowl. Wrap the ends of the towel around the chestnuts and set them aside for 10-15 minutes to steam and cool.
- When the chestnuts are cool enough to handle but still quite hot, peel them one at a time, removing both the shell and the fibrous skin beneath. Roughly break up the nuts into smaller pieces and set aside.
- In a large dutch oven or heavy-based saucepan, heat the oil and butter over medium high heat. Add the onion and sauté for about 5-6 minutes, or until it has softened and become translucent.1 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 brown onion
- Add the mushrooms and cook for another 7-8 minutes, stirring once or twice, until they have released most of their liquid and shrunk in size.400 g Swiss brown mushrooms or button mushrooms
- Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaves and chestnuts. Sauté for 1-2 mins until fragrant.2 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon thyme leaves, 2 bay leaves
- Add the stock and stir. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Take off the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.4 cups vegetable stock
- Use an immersion blender to blend the soup – I blend it until it’s smooth but you can leave it chunkier if you prefer. Alternatively, you can blend the soup in batches using a blender.
- If adding the crème fraiche, add it after the soup has been blended, while it’s still hot but off the heat. Stir it through the soup and taste for seasoning. Garnish the soup with extra thyme and crème fraiche and serve!salt and pepper to taste, ¼ cup crème fraiche
