Chestnut Soup
 
 
Ingredients
  • 1 leek
  • 3 tablespoons butter or margarine, divided
  • 2 Macintosh apples, peeled and chopped
  • 2 celery ribs, chopped
  • 1 small onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 thyme sprig
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 (32-ounce) containers chicken broth
  • ¾ pound whole chestnuts, shelled (about 2 cups nut meat)
  • 1 cup whipping cream or half-and-half
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
  1. REMOVE root, tough outer leaves, and tops from leek, leaving 2 inches.of dark leaves. Cut into quarters lengthwise. Thinly slice leek; rinse well, and drain.
  2. MELT 1 tablespoon butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add leek, apples, celery, and onion; saute 5 minutes. Add bay leaf and next 3 ingredients; saute 8 to 12 minutes or until ap­ples and vegetables are tender.
  3. STIR in chicken broth and chest­nuts. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until chest­nuts are tender. Stir in cream. Dis­card bay leaf.
  4. PROCESS leek mixture, in batch­es, in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan.
  5. MELT remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet. Stir in flour until smooth; cook, stirring constantly, 2 to 3 minutes.
  6. ADD flour mixture to pureed mix­ture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 3 to 5 minutes or un­til thickened. Serve warm. Top with sour cream and grated fresh nutmeg, if desired.
Recipe by Kuhn Orchards at https://kuhnorchards.com/chestnut-soup/