Vegan Chestnut Bisque
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This rich velvety soup is a wonderful way to begin this festive meal.  If you can find jarred or frozen peeled chestnuts, it will cut down on your preparation time considerably.  If using fresh chestnuts, see the preparation instructions following in this recipe and plan to prepare them in advance. (Peeled chestnuts are sold at Asian markets at a fraction of the cost in supermarkets.) For a thinner but still rich chestnut bisque, add up to one cup of almond milk close to serving time.
Author:
Serves: 4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
  • 2½ cups or 1 (14-ounce) jar cooked and peeled chestnuts (see note below)
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • Salt, to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon brandy (optional)
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • Finely minced celery leaves, for garnish
Instructions
  1. Thinly slice 4 of the cooked chestnuts.
  2. In a large saucepan, heat the 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add the onion and celery. Cover and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.
  3. Add the whole chestnuts, parsley, thyme, broth, and salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
  4. While the soup is cooking, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the reserved sliced chestnuts and cook until browned on both sides. Remove from heat.
  5. Puree the soup in a blender, in batches if necessary, and return to the pot. Reheat over medium heat until hot, add the brandy, if using. If the soup is too thick, add up to ½ cup more broth or up to 1 cup of almond milk.
  6. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with celery leaves and the reserved chestnuts.
Notes
Fresh Chestnuts Note: If using fresh chestnuts, preheat the oven to 400ºF. Use a sharp paring knife to cut an "x" on the flat side of each chestnut shell. Arrange the chestnuts on a baking sheet and roast until the shells begin to curl open, 15 to 20 minutes. While the chestnuts are still warm, remove the outer shell and inner skin of each chestnut. The chestnuts are now ready to use.

This recipe is reprinted with permissions from Party Vegan by Robin Robertson © 2010, John Wiley & Sons.
Recipe by Go Dairy Free at https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/vegan-chestnut-bisque