“Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…” as goes the popular Christmas carol. Every year I buy chestnuts at the farmers market or the supermarket and roast them, just because it’s the thing to do this time of year. And they are delicious, slightly sweet, nutty and meaty all at the same time. But they are a PAIN to peel. Chestnuts have to be roasted to be sweet, but they can’t be too cool or they are impossible to peel. You want to peel them when they are still practically burning your fingers…and the shells and shell membrane can still be almost impossible to remove. So this year, I thought I’d try pureeing them in soup – then, I figured, if I didn’t get all the tiny bits of brown membrane off, it wouldn’t matter if they were a sweet, hearty ingredient in a Cauliflower & Pear Soup with Roasted Chestnuts.
That was my plan for this month’s #Nutlove Love Bloghop recipe challenge. I figured I would just throw some cauliflower, pears and chestnuts on a couple roasting pans, roast everything together and then puree it all with some chicken broth. It worked! (And even though the cauliflower got a little too brown in a few spots while roasting long enough for the chestnuts to roast to a sweet soft consistency, it didn’t matter! Because everything just got pureed together.)
We’ve been eating a lot of soups lately in this cold weather, but this one is really deliciously different: Savory (the cauliflower takes on a rich almost meaty flavor – in fact a friend who stopped by my kitchen asked what sort of meat I was cooking for dinner!) and a little sweet from the pears. But when I tasted it, it needed a little something extra. Freshly grounded nutmeg was a perfect subtle addition, along with (full-fat, good quality) sour cream or full-fat yogurt for a tangy zip.
Please check out other #Nutlove posts below and enjoy all the great nut recipes this time of year!
What are your favorite nuts to eat this time of year?
PrintCauliflower Pear Soup with Roasted Chestnuts for #Chestnutlove
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
A simple soup starts by throwing cauliflower, chestnuts, and pears on a roasting pan and throwing it in the oven and then pureeing everything with broth
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florettes
- 12 chestnuts, pierced in 2 spots with a sharp knife
- 2 Bosc pears, cored and cut in half
- 1 tablespoon olive or canola oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1 (32 ounce) carton fat-free, low sodium chicken broth
- Freshly grated nutmeg
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- In a large bowl toss cauliflower and pears with oil and spread onto 2 large roasting sheets. Add 6 chestnuts to each pan. Roast until cauliflower is golden brown and chestnuts are soft, about 40 minutes.
- As soon as chestnuts are cook enough to handle, peal them. Add cauliflower, nuts, pears, chicken broth to a large stock pot and puree with an immersion blender. Heat soup until warm. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Serve topped with grated nutmeg and sour cream.
SG
Tuesday 29th of October 2013
I tried this recipe tonight and it went pretty well! Peeling the chestnuts was disastrous though, I recommend anyone who doesn't already have a method to research ahead of time to reduce struggle :) I also found there to be too little liquid - I think 5-6 cups of broth (I used veggie broth) is just right. Thanks for the recipe!
Mary @ Fit and Fed
Saturday 29th of December 2012
Cool idea to roast the cauliflower, pear, and chestnuts all at the same time. I love roasted cauliflower in soup, and the sweetness of pears and chestnuts would be great additions! Nice photos, too, with the pretty speckle-glazed mugs.
angelamroberts
Sunday 9th of December 2012
Love the photo here and what a nice recipe and color scheme.
Evelyne@CheapEthnicEatz
Monday 3rd of December 2012
Oh I LOVE LOVE this idea for a soup with chestnuts. Cauliflower ws a great blander choice even if it took on nice flavor and the touch of sweetness with pears is prefect. Happy nutlove.
Serena
Friday 7th of December 2012
Thanks Evelyne! The immersion blender must be my most used kitchen appliance!
Becky
Sunday 2nd of December 2012
Your soup sounds so good with cauliflower and pear with roasted chestnuts, a very flavorful combination. Sending lots of #nutlove your way!
Serena
Friday 7th of December 2012
Thanks Becky! I must say it's a new favorite at our house! Happy #nutlove to you!