If you are having a dinner party this is definitely the soup to serve, as it is super rich and creamy - thanks to the chestnuts and coconut - and no one will guess that it is dairy free. And the mushrooms, the star of this recipe, not only provide the umami, but they are also a great source of vitamin D - especially if allowed to soak up additional sunlight! So if you're feeling the rainy season/winter blues set in, try making this soup for a little pick me up.
ingredients
serves 4
4 cups chopped portobello mushrooms (approximately 4 large portobellos) or 32 oz. crimini mushrooms cleaned and destemmed - feel free to substitute other seasonal mushroom varieties
4 cups mushroom broth, other broth of your choice or purified water
1 15 oz. jar of roasted chestnuts or 2 cups of fresh roasted chestnuts
2 to 3 shallots or 1 medium onion
2 tablespoons coconut oil or other oil of your choice
13.5 oz can of coconut milk or the same equivalent of fresh coconut creme* (click here for a video on how to make the creme)
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
sea salt to taste - a flavored porcini sea salt is quite lovely if you have some on hand
cracked pepper to taste
Begin by dicing the shallots/onions and slicing the mushrooms. Pour the oil into a large soup pot and set the heat to medium low. Add the shallots/onion and a pinch of sea salt and sauté for approximately 10 minutes until they become soft and translucent. At this time you can prepare the coconut creme if you are making your own. Next add the sliced mushrooms, chestnuts, thyme and balsamic vinegar to the pot and sauté another 5 minutes stirring frequently. Then add in the stock/water, coconut creme and a bit more salt if desired - I used approximately a 1/4 teaspoon. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Once the soup has finished cooking, use an immersion hand blender to puree the soup. If you do not have an immersion stick, you can transfer the mixture to a blender and process on high until it is smooth and creamy. Feel free to add more stock or water to achieve your desired consistency. This would also be the time to add in some cracked pepper and more sea salt (if desired) to taste.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish if you like. My preferred garnish is sautéed mushrooms - add 1 cup sliced mushrooms of your choice, 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar to a pan and sauté over medium high heat, stirring frequently, until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms have caramelized.
This mushroom chestnut soup also pairs nicely with buckwheat molasses biscuits and a buttery glass of chardonnay. Sunshine is just a bite away.
“Existence has overpowered Books. Today I slew a Mushroom.”
~ Emily Dickinson
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