Cauliflower And Roast Chestnut Soup Recipes

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the onion. Cook over a gentle heat for 8-10 mins until the onion softens. Add the cauliflower, milk and stock. Bring to a simmer, cooking for 10-12 mins until the cauliflower is tender.
• Add the cream, season well and bring back to the boil. Take off the heat, throw in the chestnuts and blend with a hand blender until smooth. Taste and add more seasoning, if you like. To serve, top with shaved Parmesan, black pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a medium stockpot or Dutch oven, combine cauliflower, chestnuts, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; immediately reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until cauliflower is tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove cauliflower and chestnuts from cream and set aside to cool.
• Add Parmesan and thyme to cream and return to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until cream mixture is reduced by half and slightly thickened, about 20 minutes.
• Return cauliflower to cream mixture and season with salt and pepper. Spoon cauliflower mixture evenly into eight 8-ounce ramekins; top each with 3 tablespoons breadcrumbs.
• Place ramekins on a baking sheet and transfer to oven; bake until topping is golden and sides are bubbling, 4 to 5 minutes. Serve warm.

Steps:

• If you have skinned chestnuts, proceed to step 2. If your chestnuts still have their skins, preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a sharp (preferably curved) paring knife to make an X on their flat sides. Roast them in one layer in a baking pan for 10 to 15 minutes, or until their skins begin to open away from the meat. They will then be easy to peel; remove both outer and inner skins while they are warm. (The peeled chestnuts will cook faster if you chop them roughly, but it isn't necessary.)
• Meanwhile (if you have skinned chestnuts, start here), put the olive oil or butter in a deep skillet or casserole over medium heat. A couple of minutes later, add the celery, onion, and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the stock and the chestnuts, bring to a boil, and partially cover. Adjust the heat so that the mixture simmers and cook until the chestnuts are mushy, about 30 minutes.
• Carefully puree the soup in a blender (if you are not in a hurry, cool it slightly first for extra caution). Measure and add water to make 6 cups of liquid. Reheat, adjust the seasoning if necessary, garnish with celery leaves or parsley, and serve.
• Variations
• I like to elaborate on this soup in two ways, depending on what I've got in the fridge and whether meat eaters are coming to dinner:
• Chestnut Soup with Bacon: Start by rendering 1/4 cup or so of diced slab bacon; scoop out the solids and reserve them for garnish, then sauté the celery and onion in the rendered fat and proceed as directed.
• Chestnut Soup with Shiitakes: Garnish the soup with a cup or so of shiitake mushrooms (caps only), sliced and sautéed in butter or oil until crisp.