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.
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.