We had such a fun time foraging for chestnuts, scoring them, and making this incredibly rich and delicious soup! It’s super labor-intensive, and I’ll admit we’ve only done it once, but it’s a special activity the whole family can enjoy. If you're not up for the foraging and scoring, you can always buy pre-prepared chestnuts! A variation of a recipe by Melissa Pellegrino. Serving Size: 6, Prep Time: 40 Minutes, Cook Time: 60 minutes
Ingredients
Instructions
Ingredients
1.5lbfresh chestnuts
1tbspunsalted butter
1-2tbspolive oil
2mediumsize leekswhite and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and sliced into thin strips
3/4tbspthyme
5cupschicken broth
1oz.prosciuttothinly sliced into strips
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Part 1- Roasting the chestnuts: Preheat oven to 450.
In a medium bowl cover the chestnuts with warm water and soak for 20-30 minutes
Strain and fully dry with a towel so there is no slippage. Score an "X" on the flat side of the chestnut, cutting through the shell
Place on a baking sheet, "X" side up, and roast until they are tender (about 30 minutes)
Peel while they are still warm and set aside
Part 2: The soup: In a large pot, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat
Add the leeks and cook until softened, stirring occassionally
Stir in the chestnuts, thyme, broth, and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil
Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chestnuts are very tender (about 30 minutes)
Let cool and blend the mixture (an immersion blender is best) making sure there are no lumps
Strain through a fine sieve
Salt to taste
Part 3: the toppings- In a separate pan, heat olive oil over medium heat and add in the prosciutto until crisp and add in remaining thyme. Drain and pat with paper towels to reduce grease.
Serve in a bowl and top with prosciutto and thyme. Enjoy!