Η συνταγή και στα ελληνικά στο τέλος της ανάρτησης!
Up until couple of days ago, weather here was summery. Temperatures at the 30’s C and we all enjoyed a prolonged summer in the heart of fall. Two days ago that scenery changed dramatically. Temperature fell sharply and rains followed by storms landed upon us.
All outdoor activities were cancelled and we stayed at the coziness of our home. I couldn’t think of a better way to welcome fall than a soup. And not any type of soup, but one packed with fall vegetables and fruits of forest.
My father’s village is on a mountain surrounded by chestnut and walnut trees. The area where is situated, is considered to have the best quality of chestnuts in Greece. We own a house there along with an area around it. A friend of my father’s went to our garden and picked some big, juicy, delicious chestnuts and sent them to us.
When they arrived, I immediately started making menu plans. I know for you my friends in US, Thanksgiving is approaching and for us here, who do not celebrate Thanksgiving (although, honestly I see no reason why we shouldn’t celebrate about the beautiful land we have been given), Christmas is on its way. So, I thought a chestnut soup not only would warm us up, but also it would be a great idea to try something that I can include in my festive menu as a first course.
Chestnut trees are known to humans from a very old an age and probably they came to us from Asia Minor and more specifically from Pontos area. In Greek, chestnut is called Kàstano and probably comes from the Armenian word kask which also means chestnut. In English the word comes from the French word chesten.
It used to be mainly the food of poor. In Italy peasants collected the chestnuts, dried them, grinded them and made flour from then. They used it to make polenta which was filling and nutritious.
Rich people in France were eating big, juicy chestnuts they called marrons, boiled and bathed in syrup. These sweet treats still exist today and they are called marrons glacés. Since they tried them once in a while, they despised the poor people of province for having to survive with them.
With the arrival of potato from America, chestnut stopped being the food of poor and was replaced by the potato. That further meant a decrease in the production of chestnuts in whole Europe.
I always remember the chestnut person in the streets of Athens baking chestnuts in a brazier made specifically for that purpose. They still exist although not as many as they used to be. This is a photo of such a seller and how it baked his chestnuts.
This soup was just the right thing for all of us. There were no leftovers for dinner and my son accused me of making too little! That sounds like a success to my ears.
Also, if you want a dish that would serve as a main course after the soup, I suggest you to visit April Harris and her blog The 21st Century Housewife. April is a blog friend of mine from England with a delicious blog. She is having a blog anniversary and I am doing a guest post for her with a traditional dish from Corfu called Pastitsada. If you want to learn more about it and also check her beautiful, recently renovated, site you can pay her a visit here.
- 300 gr. / 11 oz. peeled boiled chestnuts
- 100 gr. / 4 oz. butternut squash cut in squared pieces
- 1 carrot peeled and chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 celery stick chopped
- 1 to 1,2 lt / 2 to 2.5 pints vegetable or chicken stock depending how thick or runny you want your soup
- Salt and pepper
- ½ tsp thyme
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 100 gr. / 4 oz. bacon
- 400 gr. / 14 oz. potatoes, cut in small cubes in the size of a crouton
- In a glass bowl throw the butternut squash and pour some water.
- Place in microwave and boil in high temperature for about 10 minutes or until it is soft but not mushy.
- In a deep pot add the chestnuts, butternut squash, carrot, onion, celery, stock, salt pepper and thyme and bring to boil.
- Lower heat and simmer for about 45 minutes or until carrots and celery are soft.
- Five minutes before you turn off the fire, pour the two tbsp. of olive oil.
- In the meantime prepare the bacon and potato croutons.
- Cut the bacon in squared pieces and place them in a nonstick pan in medium/high heat until they become crispy.
- In another pot add olive oil or vegetable oil and fry the potatoes for a few minutes until they are golden brown and ready.
- When soup is ready remove from fire and let it stay for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Divide the soup in two and pour it in your blender.
- Blend until everything is mashed.
- Serve in bowls throwing on top the bacon tidbits and the potato croutons.
- For a spicier version because I know many of you are fiery lovers you can add freshly ground pepper on top of it.
- Serve warm with freshly baked bread.
- 300 γρ. καθαρισμένα βρασμένα κάστανα
- 100 γρ. κολοκύθα κομμένη σε κομμάτια
- 1 καρότο, ξεφλουδισμένο και ψιλοκομμένο
- 1 κρεμμύδι, ψιλοκομμένο
- 1 κλωνάρι σέλινο, ψιλοκομμένο
- 1 με 1,2 lt ζωμό λαχανικών ή κότας ανάλογα με το πόσο υδαρή θέλετε τη σούπα σας
- Αλάτι και πιπέρι
- ½ κ.γ. θυμάρι
- 2 κ.σ. ελαιόλαδο
- 100 γρ. μπέικον
- 400 γρ. πατάτες, κομμένες σε κυβάκια, στο μέγεθος ενός κρουτόν
- Σε ένα γυάλινο μπολ βάλτε την κολοκύθα και ρίξτε και λίγο νερό.
- Τοποθετήστε στο φούρνο μικροκυμάτων και βράστε σε δυνατή φωτιά για περίπου 10 λεπτά ή μέχρι να είναι μαλακώσει, αλλά να μην λιώνει.
- Σε μια βαθιά κατσαρόλα προσθέστε τα κάστανα, την κολοκύθα, το καρότο, το κρεμμύδι, το σέλινο, το ζωμό, αλάτι πιπέρι και θυμάρι και φέρτε σε σημείο βρασμού.
- Χαμηλώστε τη φωτιά και σιγοβράστε για περίπου 45 λεπτά ή μέχρι τα καρότα και το σέλινο να είναι μαλακά.
- Εν τω μεταξύ, προετοιμάστε τα κρουτόν μπέικον και πατάτας.
- Κόψτε το μπέικον σε τετράγωνα κομμάτια και τοποθετήστε τα σε ένα αντικολλητικό τηγάνι σε μέτρια/υψηλή θερμοκρασία μέχρι να γίνουν τραγανά.
- Σε μια άλλη κατσαρόλα προσθέστε ελαιόλαδο ή σπορέλαιο και τηγανίστε τις πατάτες για λίγα λεπτά μέχρι να ροδίσουν.
- Όταν η σούπα είναι έτοιμη αφαιρέστε από τη φωτιά και αφήστε τη να σταθεί για 5 έως 10 λεπτά.
- Μοιράστε τη σούπα στα δύο και βάλτε σε δόσεις στο μπλέντερ σας.
- Αλέστε μέχρι όλα να γίνουν πουρές.
- Σερβίρετε σε μπολ ρίχνοντας στην κορυφή το μπέικον και τα κρουτόν πατάτας.
- Για μια πικάντικη εκδοχή, μπορείτε να προσθέσετε φρέσκο τριμμένο πιπέρι από πάνω.
- Σερβίρετε με ζεστό φρεσκοψημένο ψωμί.
