Creamy Cep and Chestnut Soup

Silky, earthy, and full of woodland flavour, this Creamy Cep and Chestnut Soup blends wild foraged porcini, sweet chestnuts, and thyme into a smooth bowl of autumn comfort. With its nutty richness and gentle umami, it’s the perfect starter for a festive dinner or a warming midweek meal when you want something simple yet impressive.

Recently I stumbled upon a huge haul of ceps — easily enough to last until next autumn — so now my cupboard is packed full of dried mushrooms. They go a surprisingly long way, with most recipes needing only a few grams of dried porcini to deliver that deep, woodsy flavour and unmistakable aroma. I assume we will be eating a lot of this soup, and a lot more cep based dinners over the winter!

If you think you have found some ceps while foraging in the forest, but you are not 100% sure, here is a really nice guide that might help you out. But only eat them if you are completley sure you have the right thing.

As the foraging saying goes “Never munch on a hunch”. Dried ceps are quite widely available to buy, so don’t worry if you cant find/identify any.

Key Ingredients for Creamy Cep and Chestnut Soup

Dried ceps (porcini)

These are the heart of the soup. Ceps (aka Porcini and Penny Buns) are one of the few mushrooms that lose nothing in the drying process; if anything, they become even more intense. The water they rehydrate in turns into a deep, aromatic stock, which makes this creamy cep and chestnut soup taste like it’s been simmering for hours.

Chestnuts

Cooked chestnuts add body, creaminess, and a gentle sweetness that balances the ceps’ intensity. Vacuum-packed or roasted chestnuts both work. I had the variety that came in the vacuum packet, so I they them in the air fryer for 5 minutes to get a bit of that freshly roasted aroma coming though.

Onion, leek, and garlic

These form the base of the soup, adding gentle sweetness and depth to balance the mushrooms. Cook them slowly until soft — that’s where the flavour starts.

Potato

Adding a small potato will help thicken it a bit. We don’t need too much because the chestnuts are already going to give the soup quite a thick body already. 

Thyme

Fresh thyme gives a clean, herbal edge that keeps the soup from feeling heavy. Dried thyme works just as well — just use half the amount. A pinch of rosemary or sage also fits nicely here.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Rehydrate the ceps

Place the dried ceps in 400 ml boiling water and let them soak for 15–20 minutes. Strain the mushrooms through a fine sieve or paper towel to remove any grit, keeping the liquid — it’s a very intense mushroom stock and we will add it back to the soup later. 

Prepare the vegetables

While the ceps are soaking, peel and dice the potato. Chop the onions and leek. Don’t worry about going too fine here as we will blend the final soup anyway. Crush the garlic, and remove the thyme leaves off the stem. 

Cook the base

Warm the olive oil or butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, and garlic, and cook slowly for 6–8 minutes until softened but not browned. This gentle cooking builds flavour, so don’t rush it.

Build the soup

Stir in the ceps and thyme. Cook for another 2 minutes to bring out the aroma of the mushrooms before adding any liquid.

Add the chestnuts, diced potato, soy sauce, cep soaking liquid, and vegetable stock. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer gently for about 25 minutes, until the potatoes are completely tender. 

Blend until smooth and add cream

Use a stick blender to puree the soup directly in the pot, or transfer it to a blender in batches. Blend until smooth and silky, adding the cream at the end and quickly mixing it through. If it’s too thick, loosen it with a little extra stock or hot water. 

Serve

Ladle into bowls and finish with a drizzle of truffle oil or a small knob of thyme butter. Add chopped herbs if you like, and serve with crusty bread for dipping.

Storage

This soup keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days in a sealed container. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water or stock if it thickens. It also freezes well for up to 3 months — defrost overnight in the fridge and stir in the cream or butter after reheating for the best texture.

Creamy Cep and Chestnut Soup

This creamy cep and chestnut soup blends dried porcini, sweet chestnuts, and thyme into a silky autumn bowl that tastes slow-cooked but takes under an hour. Simple, satisfying, and ideal for cold evenings or festive dinners.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Autumn, Foraged Ingredients, Savory Dishes, Winter

Servings 4

Calories 300 kcal

Ingredients  

• 20 g dried ceps aka porcini
• 1 L hot vegetable stock
• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 small leek sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
• 200 g cooked chestnuts
• 150 g potato diced
• 1 tsp thyme leaves or ½ tsp dried
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 100 ml cream or oat cream
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions 

• Soak the ceps in 400 ml boiling water for 15–20 min. Strain through a fine sieve, keep the liquid, and chop the mushrooms.
• Dice the potato, chop onion and leek, crush garlic, and strip thyme leaves.
• Heat oil or butter in a large pot. Add onion, leek, and garlic; cook gently for 6–8 min until soft but not browned.
• Stir in the ceps and thyme and cook for 2 min until fragrant.
• Add chestnuts, potato, soy sauce, cep liquid, and stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 25 min until everything is tender.
• Blend until smooth, stir in cream, and season to taste. Add a splash of water or stock if too thick.
• Serve with a drizzle of truffle oil or thyme butter and some crusty bread.

Notes

This creamy cep and chestnut soup is naturally gluten-free and easy to adapt for any diet. For a vegan or dairy-free version, use olive oil instead of butter and oat cream in place of dairy cream — it stays velvety and light.

To make it higher in protein, replace the potato with a handful of cooked white beans or lentils before blending. They thicken the soup and add extra substance without changing the flavour too much.

For a touch of richness, finish with truffle oil or thyme butter, or keep it simple with a swirl of good olive oil and fresh herbs.

Storage: The soup keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days and freezes for up to 3 months. Reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of water or stock if it thickens. Add any cream or butter after reheating for the best texture.

Keyword autumn soup, creamy cep and chestnut soup, easy chestnut soup, festive starter, porcini and chestnut soup, vegetarian mushroom soup, wild mushroom soup