Saturday, January 15, 2011

SOUPER SOUP (sorry!!!)




I have at last embraced the whole January thing - as in "eat more healthily", "lose those lbs/kg gathered over Christmas(/last year!)", "be a bit more frugal" you know where I'm going.  My new year's resolutions have a fairly elastic starting date (it gets more elastic with every cake I bake/see!), but Brownieville Boy #1's return to school after the holidays, became the first day of the new, improved me!

This month's No Croutons Required challenge was to prepare a veggie soup or salad with rice - I had some chestnut puree in the fridge, which had to be used and I decided to go the obvious route with it and make a chestnut and mushroom soup - I added some risotto rice (which made the soup lovely and substantial), it made a tasty, filling dish - low in fat, but full of flavour .... result!!  Just what the doctor/dietitian/resolution watchdog ordered.

Healthy meal - tick
Used up the leftovers - tick

The chestnuts are nearly finished, you'll be glad to know!!!


Mushroom and Chestnut Soup

500g          mushrooms
1                large onion
1 tsp          olive oil
1 tbsp        chestnut puree
1 ltr           mushroom/veg stock (I buy porcini stock cubes every time I go to Italy)
1 tbsp        dried porcini mushrooms - crumbled.
2 tbsp        risotto rice


Gently fry the onions in the oil, until they begin to soften.
Add the mushrooms, which you have chopped up (finely if you don't want to puree the soup later).
Meanwhile make up your stock and add the dried porcini mushrooms.
When the mushrooms have cooked down add the chestnut puree and the rice, stir well.
Add the stock and porcini mushrooms.
Allow to simmer until the rice is cooked.
Blitz - I use a hand held blitzer.
Serve and enjoy.

16 comments:

Sommer said...

This definitely a soup my son would enjoy!

It's most certainly difficukt keeping resolutions....thats why I don't make em hehe. But this soup looks so flavorful, it being healthy isn't even a bigger factor!

Chele said...

I'm with you - new year resolutions should totally have elasticated dates on them lol. Interesting soup by the way, I owuld never have thought of using chestnuts in a soup. Bet it tastes amazing ;0)

Anonymous said...

It sounds delicious. I have bought more chestnuts today - what is wrong with me?

Anonymous said...

What, no chocolate??? Great lunchtime filler too I bet.

Please Do Not Feed The Animals. said...

Sounds delicious but I did think it was chocolate when I saw the photo! Hee hee.
Well done on nearly using up all your chestnuts - can't wait to see what you do with the last of them!

From Beyond My Kitchen Window said...

Can't say I remember what chestnuts taste like. I had them once in Greek stuffing. I have never seen chestnut puree. The soup sound delicious though. You always make good things!!

chow and chatter said...

wow a chestnut soup bet this was delicious

Victor said...

Never heard of chestnut soup and it didn't know that chestnut can be made in a puree. That is very interesting. I will sure try it out!

cocoa and coconut said...

How unique this must be! I bet the mushroom and chesnut went fabulously together.

Manu said...

Oh I love vegetarian recipes, I use to make them . . . this sound good!

Unknown said...

Ha! I can't resist a pun either my daaaaaaaaaahling. It does sound souper indeed :D
*kisses* HH

Unknown said...

ahhh chestnuts again... I have a very similar recipe to this which actually uses a whole tin of chestnut puree... y'know, the one thats a bit like pumpkin puree... oh and by the way, I thought it was a bowl of chocolate soup at first glance... is there such a thing?... there should be!

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

Nice soup and such a great entry. Bet it packed a punch of flavour!

Lisa Turner said...

Lots of mushroom goodness in this soup. Thank you for this entry.

Angela said...

Chestnuts sound very intruiging. Unfortunatly, I only know them from Christmas songs. I'm not sure where to buy them here.

Unknown said...

I just love the woodsiness of this - chestnuts and mushrooms - great for an autumn picnic...or a spring one at that.