Chestnut-Apple Soup With Calvados Cream Recipe (2024)

Ingredients

Yield:10 first-course servings

• 10pitted prunes
• ¼cup Calvados or Cognac, more for drizzling
• 6tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3tablespoons sugar
• 1¼teaspoons kosher salt
• ¾teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 214-ounce jars whole roasted chestnuts
• 2celery stalks, diced
• 2medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2shallots, finely chopped
• 1medium leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
• 2medium, sweet apples (such as Gala), peeled, cored and cut into inch cubes
• 5cups chicken stock
• 3sprigs fresh thyme
• 3sprigs fresh parsley
• 1cup heavy cream

Preparation

1. Step

   1

   Place prunes in a small bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let stand 5 minutes; drain. Return prunes to bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons Calvados. Cover with plastic wrap and reserve until ready to use.

2. Step

   2

   In a large skillet, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Stir in sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg. Add chestnuts and cook, stirring occasionally to coat chestnuts with butter mixture, until chestnuts are golden and caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons Calvados and cook, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet, until liquid is mostly evaporated. Remove chestnuts from heat.

3. Step

   3

   In a large pot, melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Stir in the celery, carrots, shallots and leek; cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.

4. Step

   4

   Stir in chestnuts, apples, stock and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Tie thyme and parsley together with kitchen twine and add to pot. Bring mixture to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are very tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove herbs and discard.

5. Step

   5

   Purée soup in batches in a food processor or blender (or use an immersion blender). Return soup to pot. Stir in ½ cup heavy cream. Keep soup warm over low heat.

6. Step

   6

   See Also

   Cheddar-Roasted Broccoli Recipe

   With an electric mixer, beat remaining ½ cup cream with remaining ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg until cream forms soft peaks.

7. Step

   7

   To serve, place a prune in each bowl. Fill each bowl with a ladleful of soup. Top with a dollop of whipped cream and drizzle with Calvados.