The great thing about the cooler weather is that I can return to making some of my favourite soups. This creamy roasted chestnut and quinoa soup is a new favourite of mine and I love the silkiness and mellowness of it. You can easily adapt the flavours to your own liking by adding herbs or spices in it. I wanted to keep them to the minimum and just embrace the natural flavour of chestnuts.
Quinoa flakes make this soup so smooth and thick and I've used home-made rice milk since I'm cutting down on dairy at the moment. I will share the method and my recipe for making your own rice milk in the next post.
Creamy roasted chestnut and quinoa soup
(serves 2-4)
500g chestnuts
3/4 cup quinoa flakes
1 cup rice milk*
1 1/2 cups water or organic vegetable stock**
pinch of sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
walnut oil, to serve
1. Preheat your oven to 200C. Cut an "X" on top of each chestnut and place on a roasting tray. Roast for about 10 minutes, then peel the skins off as soon as they are cool enough to handle.
2. Bring the rice milk and water/vegetable stock to boil. Add quinoa and turn off the heat. Cover and let stand for about 3-5 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt.
3. Add the peeled chestnuts into the quinoa, then use a stab mixer to smash the mixture into a smooth soup. Season with freshly ground black pepper and serve with a few drops of walnut oil.
*I used home-made rice milk. I will share the recipe and method in my next post.
**Adjust the amount of liquid to your liking. This amount will make a very thick soup.
I spotted chestnuts the other day, i have never tried them before!
ReplyDeleteoh what a perfect soup!
ReplyDeleteI love it when the cooler weather arrives too, so I can make soup. This looks fantastic. I love the idea of a chestnut soup. It's a soup I've yet to try, and I love the idea of incorporating quinoa. I've bookmarked this to try.
ReplyDeleteI love the gum nuts in your last shot. They must scent your home beautifully too!
Sigh. You brought back wonderful memories of walking through Jardin du Luxembourg in Paris, picking up chestnuts from the ground
ReplyDeleteI LOVE chestnuts. They remind me of fall and Thanksgiving here. What a wonderful soup Maria.
ReplyDeleteThis soup looks divine. No matter the weather, I am always up for soup!
ReplyDeletesounds yum.
ReplyDeletewhat does 1,5 mean?
ta
Quinoa is the wonder grain that I have recently discovered and i am still wondering how to use chestnuts in a dish so this works wonderful for me :)
ReplyDeleteYour photos are exquisite!
US Masala
That looks delicious. But instead of getting colder, its getting WARMER here. :)
ReplyDeleteI love chestnuts and looking at this soup wonder why I have never made a soup with them
ReplyDeleteChestnut soup is one of my favorite, yet I've never made it. Definitely bookmarking this one. Love the pics, too!
ReplyDeleteI totally love this! Chestnut soup is just lovely :) I've bookmarked for the next round I see some chestnuts, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteyour photography is SO amazing! I never had chest nuts before but this soups sounds very yummy :)
ReplyDeleteOMG! Chestnuts are my all time fav in the cooler months. Truth be told, I’ve never had chestnut soup but it sure does look delish.
ReplyDeleteQuinoa, chestnut, rice milk...what a nutritious and healthy combination. Amazing!
ReplyDeleteA very original soup! That healthy and flavorful combination is awesome.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Rosa
Oooh, This chestnut soup look beautiful, Maria. And I bet it taste fantastic too. Will have to give it a try soon! Wonderful shots :)
ReplyDeleteHave a great day,
Aldy.
I found I didn't really like the texture of cooked quinoa and have half a bagful that I didn't know what to do with, I think this recipe is just ideal for using it up! It's perfect essence of autumn!
ReplyDeletethose chestnuts and that quinoa together look and sound amazing paired with a subtleness of vegetable stock. One of my new favorites from you!
ReplyDeleteWell, it may not exactly be chestnut season here anymore but I think I need to pick up some jarred ones and make this. I can just imagine how luscious the flavor must be!
ReplyDeleteI love chestnuts and that is the prettiest bowl of soup I have ever seen. Just discovered this beautiful blog.
ReplyDeleteAh, I forget you are on the other side of the world from me. ;) It is just getting hot here in Arizona. I think I can sneak in one more soup for dinner tho. I've never seen quinoa flakes! I will have to look for them.
ReplyDeleteI love creamy soups.There's just about some time left for soups here before summers arrive.Very original recipe.
ReplyDeleteThis soup looks amazing, a perfect creamy texture and I love the flavors with roasted chestnut!
ReplyDeleteAnd that would be a complete protein too, so well done! Please do share the rice milk recipe, as if you are doing that! I'm waiting for that one...
ReplyDeleteCupcake
xo
You always introduce me to new recipes, i've never heard of roasted chestnut soup before but it sounds absolutely yum! Your photos are perfection, I can almost taste everything. Lovely!
ReplyDeletethis looks really good Maria :O)
ReplyDeleteOh yes! There's nothing like roasted chestnuts in winter! I have to admit that they never last long enough for me to cook with as the family usually wolf them down - I'm gonna have to buy a bulk batch this winter to try and experiment with them.
ReplyDeleteI do so love the buttery flavor of chestnuts... and how when roasted they become so much more.... dare I say it... nutty. I can only imagine how scrumptious this soup is. Perfect for these cool spring nights.
ReplyDelete