If you're looking for a rich, warming and indulgent festive starter to serve this Christmas, look no further. This soup feels really special and is something that the whole family will love. It's made from blending cooked chestnuts with spices and creamy coconut milk to make one of the silkiest soups you will ever try. We like to dress it up with a simple walnut crumb, some yoghurt and olive oil.
Serves 6-8, for a starter serving & takes 30 minutes to cook
Ingredients
For the soup
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 sticks of celery, peeled and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
2x 180g packs of ready-to-eat chestnuts, roughly chopped
1x 400g can of coconut milk
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 veggie stock cube mixed with 500ml of boiling water
Dash of almond milk (if needed)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Dollop of natural yoghurt (for serving)
Handful of chopped chives (optional)
For the walnut crumb
100g toasted walnuts
2 slices of toast
1 garlic clove, peeled
Method
1. Place a large pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil. Once warm, add the chopped onion, celery, garlic and a pinch of salt. Mix well and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until the onion and celery become soft.
2. At this point, mix through the cumin and chopped chestnuts. Cook for a few minutes before pouring in the hot veggie stock. Mix well, before leaving to simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. Once everything has been simmering for a while, blend the ingredients together until smooth and creamy - you can add a dash more water if needed in order to make everything blend together well.
4. Place back over a medium heat and pour in the coconut milk. Mix well and leave to heat through while you make the crumb.
5. To make the crumb, simply blend all of the ingredients together using a blender (we use a NutriBullet). You want the mixture to resemble chunky breadcrumbs.
6. If the soup is too thick, add a dash of almond milk bit-by-bit until you reach the consistency you like best.
7. Once ready to serve, pour the soup into small bowls. Top each with a dollop of yoghurt, a drizzle of olive oil, the walnut crumb, some chopped chives (if using) and a pinch of pepper.
Note: you can make the soup as thick or as think as you like by simply mixing through a dash of almond milk towards the end.
