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Smoked Chestnut Soup

Smoked Chestnut Soup

A holiday showstopper that will stun your guests. A perfect combination of sweet and smoky to kick off a special autumn or winter feast. Featuring smoked chestnuts and smoked pumpkin or butterkin squash with leeks, garlic, and just a touch of spice.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 5 cups smoked pumpkin or butterkin squash*
  • 14 oz smoked chestnuts*
  • 2 cups leeks chopped
  • 1 tbsp Calabrian chilis in oil (optional, substitute red pepper flakes)
  • 2 oz white wine
  • 6 cloves garlic peeled
  • 1 1/2 cups cooked fava beans (substitute cannellini beans if needed)
  • 7 cups vegetable stock (or fava bean stock if cooking beans at home. See note)
  • 2 tsp thyme
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

  1. In the bottom of a large pot heat oil over medium.
  2. Add chopped leeks and cook for 3 minutes.
  3. Add garlic and chilis and cook for 2 additional minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper.
  4. Add white wine and stir to deglaze the pan. Cook approximately 1 minute until most of the wine evaporates.
  5. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a low simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. Remove from heat and transfer to a blender or use an immersion blender. Process until smooth or desired consistency reached.
  7. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

  • Cooking Fava Beans: I like to use my Instapot to on the soup/broth setting at 10 minutes to cook beans. I use 1 cup of soaked fava beans and 8 cups of water. After beans are cooked, reserve the liquid for soup stock.
  • Smoked Pumpkin Recipe
    • Place prepared pumpkin pieces in a baking dish and coat with a bit of olive oil. I like to set my grill at about 250 degrees F and smoke the pumpkins for approximately 90 minutes. 
  • Smoked Chestnuts: 
    • Simply smoke the chestnuts with the pumpkins on the grill until browned but not crunchy.