I love chestnuts and for a long time I’ve been wanting to make a creamy chestnut soup. I had a few packs that were lying around in the cupboard and thought it was their turn. I had a look at a few different recipes and finally decided to add shiitake mushrooms to my soup. They are of Asian origin and are extremely healthy. The taste is closer to porcini mushrooms rather than common field mushrooms. In China they are even known under the name of “mushroom of the Sleeping Buddha”. This type of mushrooms is mentioned for the first time in 199 in a text saying that the Chinese emperors were taking an infusion of shiitake to preserve their youth and prevent diseases. Shiitake are suitable for consumption as a remedy in diseases associated with reduced immunity, viral infections and cardiovascular diseases.

So, if this is not enough, shiitake mushrooms are just very tasty, and are perfect to add to various dishes. As I mentioned above, I used cooked, peeled and ready-to-use chestnuts, but if you can’t find any, simply boil them first, peel them and add them to the soup. This way they will be even more tender and soft, and the soup will be quicker to make.

Ingredients:

• 800 ml vegetable broth
• 540 g chestnuts
• 350 ml milk
• 120 g shiitake mushrooms
• 50 ml white wine
• 30 g butter
• 2 small shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• ¼ tsp. nutmeg
• Salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the chopped onion and garlic and fry for a few minutes. Cut the shiitake mushrooms and add them to the onions, fry for another 4-5 minutes until tender.
2. Add the white wine, chestnuts, spices, and vegetable broth.
3. Simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the chestnuts are soft.
4. Blend in the milk. Add more  water (or milk), to thin the soup to the desired consistency.

The recipe is adapted from Will cook for friends.