Make a smooth chestnut and fennel cream soup with roasted chestnuts, sweet fennel, butter and cream. A rich French-inspired starter for cool-weather and festive menus.
Coarsely chop the chestnuts, reserving a ⅓ cup for . Cook shallot and leeks in 2 ounces of butter in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring until softened. Add wine and simmer until almost all liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Stir in fennel, stock, chestnuts (excluding garnish), and water, then simmer covered for 20 minutes. Stir in the cream and cool mixture slightly.
Purée mixture in batches in a blender until smooth, transferring to a clean pot; use caution when hot liquids. Return soup to a simmer, thinning with water if desired. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
While soup is , heat remaining butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté reserved chestnuts with salt and pepper to taste, stirring constantly, until crisp and butter are browned, about 4 minutes.
Serve soup topped with chestnuts and drizzled with browned butter.
This recipe connects to Soups Making 101 — learn the technique step by step in the video lessons.
The secret to a silky soup like this one is patience at the blending stage — take your time and pass it through a fine sieve if you want a truly professional finish. If you'd like to go deeper, Soups Making 101 covers this in full.
If you'd ever like hands-on guidance for your own kitchen or restaurant, I also offer 1-on-1 coaching through OCS, or you can reach me directly for consulting at 911ChefEric.com.
Recipes come out right when you understand the method. Chef Eric’s courses teach the foundations step by step — knife skills, stocks, soups and classic French technique — with video lessons and short quizzes. Not sure where to start? OCRS™ will build your roadmap in five questions.
