If you are in the mood for a fantastic soup, then you must delve into the world of Spanish soup recipes, where you’ll discover a diverse pool of flavors and ingredients.
The chestnut soup recipe will awaken your taste buds and transport you to Andalusia with just one spoonful, thanks to its rich blend of flavors and hearty ingredients.
Keep reading this article to learn everything about this Spanish recipe, with some expert tips for storing, serving, and customizing its ingredients.
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Background of the Dish
Most chestnut soup recipes were created around the same time as pumpkin chorizo soup, and they were known as peasant soups because the ingredients needed were abundant and relatively inexpensive.
The chestnut soup recipe is usually prepared during the autumn and winter months when chestnuts are in season, but if you want to enjoy it all year round, you can prepare it with cooked canned or vacuum-packed chestnuts.
Nowadays, chestnut soup has established itself as a modern classic, thanks to its nutty flavor and creamy texture that aren’t commonly found in other savory soups.
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Things You’ll Need for Chestnut Soup Recipe
To make the best chestnut soup recipe you will need fresh chestnuts, onion, garlic cloves, serrano ham or bacon, heavy cream, carrots, and broth as the main ingredients.
You will need an immersion blender, or a regular blender or food processor so that the chestnut soup reaches the perfect creamy consistency.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (1 liter) vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- 450gr fresh chestnuts
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 200gr Serrano ham or bacon (for topping)
How to Make Chestnut Soup Recipe – Step by Step Guide
- To start, score an “X” on the flat side of each chestnut with a sharp knife. Boil the chestnuts in a pot of water for about 15 minutes. Drain and let them cool slightly before peeling off the outer shell and inner skin. You can skip this step by using cooked and canned (or vacuum-packed) chestnuts.
- As you cook the chestnuts, you can prepare the veggies. For that, peel and chop the onion, garlic, celery stalks, and carrots into small pieces. Don’t worry about the shape as you will blend them later.
- Now, grab a large pot and heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes.
- Then, add the peeled chestnuts to the pot along with the bay leaf. Pour in the vegetable or chicken broth, and season the chestnut cream soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- After that, bring the best chestnut soup to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let it simmer gently for about 30 minutes, or until the chestnuts are tender.
- Once the chestnuts are cooked through, remove the bay leaf from the pot. Use an immersion blender or transfer the chestnut soup in batches to a blender to puree until smooth.
- Now, return the chestnut soup to the pot and stir in the heavy cream. Adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Heat the soup gently over low heat until warmed through for a couple of minutes.
- In the meantime, chop some serrano ham and cook it in a pan with olive oil until it gets a golden color. You can use bacon instead since both go well with the creamy chestnut soup.
- To finish this chestnut soup recipe, pour the soup into bowls and top it with the cooked serrano ham or bacon pieces. Serve the chestnut soup warm and enjoy.
Substitution of Ingredients
The most important part about this chestnut soup recipe is to use good-quality chestnuts, as they significantly impact the overall taste and texture of the soup.
With that being said, you can use fresh chestnuts and cook them, or use canned or vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts depending on what is available and convenient for you.
You can also turn this into a roasted chestnut soup recipe, by simply roasting the chestnuts instead of boiling them to enhance their nutty flavor, then following the same recipe for a delicious twist on the classic dish.
Besides that, feel free to use your favorite vegetables in this recipe, adding others like corn, tomatoes, bell peppers, leek, potato, pumpkin, etc.
If you want to enjoy a delicious Andalusian soup but chestnut isn’t your thing, then you must try our fantastic Spanish bacon bean soup or the traditional Spanish chorizo soup to satisfy your cravings.
Give a go to a classy bacon tomato soup, that finished with crispy bacon for a wonderful flavor.
Tips on Serving Chestnut Soup Recipe
This fantastic chestnut soup can be served both as a main course or an appetizer, providing a delicious and fulfilling option for any part of your meal.
To add a crunchy texture to this creamy soup, consider garnishing it with toasted bread crumbs or your favorite toasted nuts to continue with the nutty flavor profile.
Similar to other Spanish soups, such as the orange lentil soup or the Spanish potato soup, this one goes well topped with grated parmesan or manchego cheese, adding a delightful richness and depth of flavor to each spoonful.
If you don’t like serrano ham or bacon -which are the classic toppings for this soup- then you can add cooked chorizo, or check out our classic chestnut and chorizo soup recipe.
How to Store Chestnut Soup Recipe
Luckily, you can store this chestnut soup in the fridge or freezer, and it will maintain its original flavor and texture, ensuring a delightful taste experience whenever you decide to enjoy it.
Once you finish making the recipe for Spanish soup, let it cool to room temperature, for about 30 to 60 minutes, and place it in an airtight freezer-safe container.
Then, store the chestnut soup for up to 4 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer, and when needed let it thaw overnight in the fridge.
You can reheat this soup in the microwave in 1-minute intervals or on the stovetop over low heat, ensuring it warms evenly without overcooking.
Other Spanish soup recipes that you can make and store for later, both in the fridge or freezer, are the savory Spanish baked bean soup, the hearty Spanish ham and bean soup, and the creamy leek and butternut squash soup.
Recipe Card: Chestnut Soup Recipe
Easy Chestnut Soup Recipe
If you are in the mood for a fantastic soup, then you must delve into the world of Spanish recipes, where you'll discover a diverse pool of flavors and ingredients.
The chestnut soup recipe will awaken your taste buds and transport you to Andalusia with just one spoonful, thanks to its rich blend of flavors and hearty ingredients.
Keep reading this article to learn everything about this Spanish recipe, with some expert tips for storing, serving, and customizing its ingredients.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (1 liter) vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
- 450gr fresh chestnuts
- 1 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 200gr Serrano ham or bacon (for topping)
Instructions
- Draw an "X" on the flat side of each chestnut with a sharp knife. Boil the chestnuts in a pot of water for about 15 minutes. Drain and let them cool slightly before peeling off the outer shell and inner skin. You can skip this step if you use cooked and canned (or vacuum-packed) chestnuts.
- In the meantime, peel and chop the onion, garlic, celery stalks, and carrots into small pieces. Don't worry about the shape as you will blend them later.
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened, about 7 minutes.
- To continue with this Spanish soup recipe, add the peeled chestnuts to the pot along with the bay leaf. Pour in the vegetable or chicken broth, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and let the easy chestnut soup simmer gently for about 30 minutes, or until the chestnuts are tender.
- Once the chestnuts are cooked through, remove the bay leaf from the pot. Use an immersion blender or transfer the Spanish soup in batches to a blender to puree until smooth.
- Return the cream of chestnut soup to the pot and stir in the heavy cream. Adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed. Heat the soup gently over low heat until warmed through.
- Chop some serrano ham and cook it in a pan with olive oil until it gets a golden color. You can use bacon instead.
- Top the chestnut soup with the cooked serrano ham or bacon pieces, and serve it hot.
Notes
For a fully Andalusian soup, we recommend that you choose the serrano ham as the topping, although a bacon and chestnut soup is also a mesmerizing combination.
If you use chicken broth in this Spanish soups recipe, it will give a heartier and richer flavor, meanwhile, the vegetable one gives a neutral base, allowing the chestnut flavor to stand out.
Nutrition Information
Yield
5Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 613Total Fat 31.6gSaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 71mgSodium 1255mgCarbohydrates 61.4gFiber 2.9gSugar 9gProtein 21.7g
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