This chestnut soup recipe is nearly forgotten in the cities but in some rural areas, families still make it in cold winter days. Nutty, earthen flavors of chestnut and poultry match great with the juicy, sweet, acidic aroma of sour apples.
Ingredients:
1/2 kg of chestnuts
2 tablespoons of butter
1/2 apple, sour type, peeled, cored and grated
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
2 cups of chicken broth
1 tablespoon of corn/wheat starch
1 teaspoon of salt
Soak the chestnuts 1-2 hours prior to scoring, this will make things easier. Score and wrap the chestnuts into foil, then roast in oven at 200 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes. Let cool and remove their shells and the skin. Melt butter and add in the chestnuts, grated apple and black pepper, brown for about 2-3 minutes on medium heat. Add in the chicken broth and bring to boil. In a separate bowl mix the starch with 2 cups of water (at room temperature). Stir well until homogeneous and add this starchy mixture into the soup slowly, meanwhile keep stirring. Bring to boil and lower the heat. Add salt. Boil for 10-15 minutes, occasionally stirring the soup. Mash the chestnuts with a potato masher or use an immersion blender to achieve an even creamier texture. Serve with cream, whipped yogurt or plain.
