Italian Soups Recipes - Chestnut Soup (Zuppa di Castagne) Recipe

Ingredients

• 450 g/1lb chestnuts

• 25 g/1 oz/2 tbsp butter

• 1 small onion, minced

• 25 g/1 oz/1/4 cup plain (all-purpose) flour

• 600 ml/1 pt/2 1/2 cups milk

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2.5 ml/1/2 tsp grated nutmeg

• 150 ml/2/3 cup single (light) cream

• 5 ml/1 tsp chopped fresh parsley

---

Method:

1. Slit the chestnuts and boil them until they are soft. Remove the outer shell and the inner skin.

2. Blend or rub through a sieve. Heat the butter in a saucepan and cook the onion. Sprinkle over the flour and stir.

3. Gradually stir in the milk and bring to the boil. Stir until the sauce has thickened and there are no lumps.

4. Blend in the chestnut puree. Season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring all the time.

5. Remove from the heat and stir in half the cream. Serve hot with some of the remaining cream poured in the centre of each dish and garnish with the parsley.