Creamy Roasted Chestnut Soup with Thyme and Crispy Sage (Elegant Holiday Soup)

Why you’ll love it

• Silky and luxurious: the chestnuts make the soup naturally creamy, so it needs only a little cream.
• Festive and different: a special holiday starter that tastes like the season.
• Easy shortcut: ready-roasted, peeled chestnuts mean no scoring or peeling.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the soup

• 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 lb (450 g) peeled roasted chestnuts, vacuum-packed or jarred (about 3 cups), divided
• 2 tbsp dry sherry or brandy (optional)
• 5 cups (1.2 L) low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth, plus more as needed
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream
• 1 tsp pure maple syrup (optional)
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar or fresh lemon juice

For the crispy sage garnish

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• Flaky sea salt
• A drizzle of heavy cream, for serving

Step-by-step method

1. Reserve some chestnuts. Set aside 6 chestnuts for the garnish and coarsely chop them. Keep the rest whole.

2. Soften the vegetables. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrot and cook 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and lightly golden. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.

3. Toast the chestnuts. Add the whole chestnuts and cook 2 minutes, stirring, until fragrant. Pour in the sherry, if using, and let it bubble for 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pot.

4. Simmer. Add the broth, thyme sprigs, bay leaf and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes, until the chestnuts are very soft and crumble easily when pressed against the side of the pot.

5. Blend. Remove the bay leaf and thyme stems. Blend the soup with an immersion blender until completely smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Or blend it in batches in a countertop blender, filling it no more than halfway, removing the center cap of the lid and covering the opening with a folded towel to let steam escape.

6. Finish. Return the soup to the pot over medium-low heat. Stir in the cream, pepper, nutmeg and maple syrup, if using, and heat 3 minutes, until steaming. If the soup is too thick, add broth 1/4 cup at a time. Stir in the vinegar, taste and add salt as needed.

7. Fry the sage and serve. Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Fry the sage leaves 20 to 30 seconds, until crisp and bright green, and transfer them to a paper towel; sprinkle with flaky salt. Add the chopped chestnuts to the same oil and toast 2 minutes, until golden. Ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with a little cream and top with the crispy sage and toasted chestnuts.

How to know it is done

Before blending, the chestnuts should be soft enough to mash easily with the back of a spoon. After blending, the soup should be completely smooth with no grainy bits, a pale golden-tan color and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, like heavy cream. It is ready to serve when it is steaming hot, about 165°F (74°C), and seasoned to your taste.

Tips for the best result

• Blend longer than you think; chestnuts need 2 to 3 minutes of blending to become truly silky.
• The splash of vinegar or lemon juice at the end balances the natural sweetness of the chestnuts.
• Season at the end, since broths vary a lot in saltiness.
• Dry the sage leaves well before frying so the oil does not splatter.
• For an extra-refined texture, pass the blended soup through a fine-mesh strainer.

Variations and substitutions

• Fresh chestnuts: use about 1 3/4 lb (800 g) fresh chestnuts in the shell. Cut an X in the flat side of each, roast at 425°F (220°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, wrap in a towel 5 minutes and peel while warm.
• Vegan: use olive oil instead of butter, vegetable broth and full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream instead of the cream.
• With bacon: top each bowl with crumbled crispy bacon or pancetta instead of, or along with, the sage.
• With mushrooms: add 8 oz (225 g) sliced cremini mushrooms with the vegetables for an earthier soup.
• With apple: add 1 peeled, chopped apple with the chestnuts for a fruity note.
• Without alcohol: skip the sherry and add an extra teaspoon of vinegar at the end.

Make ahead

The soup tastes even better after a day. Make it through step 5, cool it and refrigerate it covered for up to 3 days. Reheat it gently over medium-low heat, then stir in the cream and finish as directed. Fry the sage leaves up to 4 hours ahead and keep them uncovered at room temperature on a paper towel.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often and adding a splash of broth, because the soup thickens as it sits. To freeze, cool the soup before adding the cream and freeze it for up to 3 months; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, reheat and stir in the cream.