Here’s my super creamy chestnut soup… And it is a sweet and velvety soup topped with crunchy salted bacon and crisp stir fried kale… How lovely does this sound! Just the way I like my autumn and winter soups. A bowlful of comfort food.
And with bacon of course!
What else. Chestnuts and bacon go so well together. There’s something about that savory and then sweet flavor that seems to be just made for each other.
Don’t you think?
Try it out and see for yourself!
However, I will be totally honest here. Making this chestnut soup was a tricky one for me.
Cooked Chestnuts
And that’s just because I’m not a huge chestnut fan.
At least, I wasn’t. The very first time that I tasted cooked chestnuts, well that so was horrible for me. I really didn’t like that floury and gritty texture. But I never give up on ingredients and always give food a second and even third chance if I have to.
It might just be the way it is cooked I don’t like.
And I was right again!
Easy Chestnut Soup with Bacon & Kale
So here’s why.
Last month while we were visiting Florence, Italy, my husband ordered chestnut stuffed ravioli in a classic yummy butter and sage sauce. But if he thought that I wouldn’t be touching it because there was chestnut it it, then he was wrong.
I loved that sweet ravioli to bits.
So I bought a bunch of fresh chestnuts at my local supermarket once we were back home and roasted them. And I turned them in a delicious chocolate cake and this soup! It is a rather sweet soup, similar to a parsnip soup.
I also added the bacon and kale for crunch.
And it was delish.
Chestnut Cupcakes
Do you love cooking with chestnuts?
And how about baking with them?
Then check out my chestnut cupcakes with buckwheat!
Enjoy!
Easy Chestnut Soup with Bacon & Kale Recipe
My super creamy chestnut soup: a sweet and velvety soup topped with crunchy salted bacon and crisp stir fried kale... Lovely!
- 1 small onion
- 2 medium garlic cloves
- 1 medium fresh carrot
- 9 oz potatoes (250 g)
- 9 oz cooked chestnuts (250 g)
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock (720 ml), warm
- a handful fresh kale sliced
- 4 thin slices salted bacon
- olive oil
- pepper
- salt
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Peel, trim and clean the onion, carrot and garlic cloves. Chop them up finely and add them together with a good splash of olive oil to a large pan.
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Place the vegetables over medium heat and gently fry them for 5 minutes. Stir regularly. In the meantime peel and chop the potatoes. Add them together with the chestnuts and warm stock to the pan. Season with a little pepper and salt.
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Bring it all to a rolling boil and then turn the heat low. Then simmer the soup for 25 minutes until all the ingredients are tender. In the meantime grill the bacon until crispy.
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In a large non-stick pan add another drop of olive oil and quickly stir fry the sliced kale for 2 minutes.
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Take the pan off the heat and let the kale cool down again. Blend or mix the soup into a velvety mixture.
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Check the seasoning and add extra pepper or salt to taste if necessary. Scoop the soup into bowls. Garnish with the crumbled grilled bacon and the stir fried kale.
