Chestnut Soup Recipe

Ingredients

1 small onion, chopped
Olive oil
2 cups of mixed mushrooms, chopped
1 tablespoon sherry
Salt and pepper
1 quart of chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup canned chestnuts or fresh roasted chestnuts
1 tablespoon cream (optional)
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

Sophie Dahl's note: For bacon lovers, a bit of bacon or pancetta would also be pretty good, very crispy and sprinkled on top.

1. First, sweat the onion in some olive oil; after a few minutes add the chopped mushrooms and cook on a low heat for a few minutes. Add the sherry — you should be hit by that lovely sugar waft. Season a little. Add the stock and cook on a low heat again for another 15 minutes.
2. Add the chestnuts and cook for another 15 minutes. Let the mixture cool a bit, then transfer to a blender and purée. Put it back in the pan — you could add a tablespoon of cream if you want. If not, toss a little chopped parsley on top, and off you go.

Serves 4.

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