Chestnut soup is a delicious and festive vegan soup just bursting with flavour. A perfect soup to serve up as a Christmas Day appetizer!
Even if not eaten around Christmas this chestnut soup makes for a brilliant winter warmer.
It’s packed with the flavour of beautiful soft chunks of chestnuts. Complimented with healthy medley of seasonal vegetables topped off with sweet chopped rosemary.
Why not make something different for your Christmas Day starter?
Last year I was searching our supermarkets high and low to get my hands on a bag of fresh chestnuts but was unsuccessful.
You see I’d planned to make this last year and because I couldn’t its been on my to-make list since then!
So, as soon as I spied chestnuts in a supermarket in November I just bought them straight away and I’ve made several batches for our freezer.
I made this hearty soup as my contribution towards our Christmas dinner when I lived my parents.
Already then (I was about 15) I was interested in old fashioned ingredients and old fashioned recipes. Of which this chestnut soup was one.
This soup went down really well. Everybody loved it! It’s only taken me 30 years to recreate it. LOL.
Anyway, not only are Chestnuts a great inexpensive ingredient to use in your recipes they are extremely good for you too!
Why Are Chestnuts Good For You?
- Chestnuts are both low in fat and high in fibre.
- Nearly all the fat is unsaturated (a good fat).
- They are a valuable source of protein.
- Chestnuts contain calcium helping to build strong bones and teeth.
- Vitamin E is a key vitamin found in chestnuts which helps to keep our eyes and skin healthy.
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Coming Thursday on Neil’s Healthy Meals
Join me on Thursday for another recipe from my childhood. This time one that my mum used to bake with me. Chocolate Snowballs. This recipe is so simple and needs hardly any ingredients nor any baking so do check back then for that!
Other Popular Festive Soup Recipes You Might Also Like
- Ham and vegetable soup. This tasty ham and vegetable soup is packed full of nutrition. It’s an easy to make hearty healthy soup that makes 6 to 8 portions. It freezes well too.
- This broccoli and stilton soup is vegetarian, gluten free and low calorie. Its a cheesy tasting delicious bowl of comfort giving you a warm glow at any time of the year.
- Leftover turkey soup is the ultimate recipe to use up any of that remaining turkey from Thanksgiving or Christmas. This delicious healthy recipe is literally bursting with flavour.
Chestnut Soup Recipe
If you want to add a little indulgent festive cheer to this chestnut soup recipe then add a tablespoon of sweet sherry!
I’d love to hear what you think of my recipe in the comments below and please do rate my recipe 5* if you like it! 🙂
- 400 g cooked and peeled whole chestnuts*
- 2 sticks of celery diced
- 2 onions finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 carrot peeled and diced
- 1.5 L vegetable stock
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- ½ tsp chopped fresh rosemary
- Place all the ingredients, except the rosemary into a large saucepan.
- Bring to the boil, then turn down to simmer for approximately 40 minutes.
- Season to taste, garnish with the fresh rosemary and serve.
*Chestnuts either come ready peeled and in vacuum packs or fresh. If fresh you will need to simmer them in water for about 20 minutes, allow them to cool and peel off the thick outer skin and thinner inner skin.
David @ Spiced
Interesting! I must admit that I’d never heard of chestnut soup until recently…but now I’ve seen it twice in 2 days. I’d say that’s the universe giving me a sign that I should make chestnut soup! This sounds quite tasty, and chestnuts are everywhere in our stores this time of the year. I could go for a big bowl of soup today…it’s quite cold here!
Neil
I’m jealous that you say Chestnuts are everywhere in your stores at the moment. I had a lot of trouble finding fresh ones, although vacuum packed ones were available!
GiGi Eats
Chestnuts are a FAMILY STAPLE on Christmas and/or New Years (and Thanksgiving to be honest as well, but we didn’t have them this year). Roasted in the oven and olive oil, salt and pepper! I LOVE THOSE NUGGETS!!! I really hope Landon and I roast some this year (we are doing Christmas in LA with ourselves) to make it feel more HOLIDAY LIKE for me!!!
Neil
Yay! I’m glad to hear you are a lover of chestnuts too GiGi! Hope you guys both have an amazing Christmas in your place in LA!! (And have no more leaky bathrooms).
Ben|Havocinthekitchen
Chestnuts give me some kind of a nostalgic feeling: I would often have them when I was a kid. I hadn’t enjoyed them for many years (better say two decades haha) until I re-discovered them in Canada. Love their unique nutty & sweet but not overpowering flavour. I was also surprised to find out they’re an excellent source of vitamin C so eating chestnuts in any way (Or better in this delish soup) in winter makes sence. Nice Neil!
Neil
Sounds like you’re a big Chestnuts fan like myself then Ben. Yes, Chestnuts also give me a nostalgic feeling too. I remember them being roasted and sold at Christmas in Dundee in aid of the Salvation Army charity. That was a long time ago. Shame we can’t get them all year round, eh Ben? To enjoy not just their unique flavour but also their health benefits.
Foodaciously
Happy new year Neil! Wow my parents would love this, gotta send it over. They have some chestnut trees in their Tuscany cottage that would go fabulous here. Great for next autumn 😉
Neil
Happy New Year to you too! Yes, do send this over to your parents. If they are lucky enough to have fresh chestnuts to hand, they will love this! 😀