Butternut Squash Soup With Chestnuts Recipes

BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CHESTNUT SOUP

Steps:

• In a medium-size, heavy casserole dish, heat the oil over medium heat. Stir in the celery and the onion and saute until the vegetables are translucent and soft, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the chestnuts, squash, ginger root, thyme and mace and stir.
• Scrape the mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel chopping blade and process until completely smooth. Return the puree to the pan and stir in the chicken stock and the bourbon. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the soup just to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 7 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the crystallized ginger with the sour cream. Ladle the soup into individual bowls. Just before serving, spoon on a generous dollop of the ginger-sour cream mixture.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP WITH CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• Cook shallots, carrot, celery, tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf in oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes.
• Add squash, water, nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and simmer, covered, until squash is very tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Discard thyme and bay leaf.
• Purée soup in batches in a blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Thin soup if desired and season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle soup over chestnuts in bowls.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH & APPLE SOUP WITH CHESTNUTS

Steps:

• ROASTING CHESTNUTS
• Using a small, sharp knife or a chestnut knife, score, or shallowly cut, an X on one side of each nut. Be careful not to cut through the nutmeat.
• To roast the chestnuts in the oven: Lay the nuts in a single layer on an ungreased baking sheet, and roast in a 350°F oven until the nuts are fragrant and the scored portions begin to separate from the shells, 15 to 20 minutes. (If you're going to eat the chestnuts plain, increase the heat to 400°F and bake until the shells give slightly when pressed with oven mitt-protected fingers.)
• To roast the chestnuts in a chestnut pan: Heat the pan over medium-low heat and add the chestnuts. Cook, tossing the chestnuts frequently, until the shells crack and the chestnuts are cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes over a gas flame burner, 35 to 40 minutes over an electric or conduction burner.
• Transfer the nuts to a platter or heatproof surface and cover with a damp kitchen towel to keep them warm.
• 5. Using a kitchen towel or pot holder, pick up each nut and, with your fingers or the knife, peel back the scored X. Peel off the hard outer shell and the thin, beige, soft inner skin. Discard any nuts that, once peeled, look dried out.
• Eat the chestnuts immediately or use as directed in a recipe.
• SOUP.
• In a small stockpot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in the butternut squash puree, 2 1/2 cups of the stock, the bay leaf and the 2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and discard.
• Using an immersion blender, puree the soup in the pot until smooth. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve set over a clean stockpot. Stir in the cream and add more stock to reach the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Reheat the soup gently to serving temperature.
• Ladle the soup into warmed bowls. Garnish each serving with a swirl of whipped cream and sprinkle with chestnuts. Serve immediately. Serves 6.
• Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.