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Le Chaudron recipe

Velouté de châtaignes

Creamy chestnut soup with bacon

⏱ 45 minServes 4Easy320 kcal

A recipe from Le Chaudron — the cooking of France’s regions.

01 — Ingredients4 servings

  • 700 g (25 oz)vacuum-packed cooked chestnutsor marrons
  • 2yellow onions
  • 1leekwhite part
  • 3 clovesgarlic
  • 1carrot
  • 1 sprigcelery
  • 1.2 L (5 cups)chicken stock
  • 200 ml (¾ cup)whole milk
  • 200 ml (¾ cup)thick crème fraîche
  • 60 g (2 oz)unsalted butter
  • 3 tbspolive oil
  • 1bouquet garnithyme, bay leaf
  • 1 pinchnutmeg
  • 100 g (3½ oz)smoked lardons
  • 1bunch of chives
  • 1 tspfleur de sel (flaky sea salt)
  • 1 tspfreshly ground pepper
  • 700 g (25 oz) vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts or marrons
  • 2 yellow onions
  • 1 leek white part
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 sprig celery
  • 1.2 L (5 cups) chicken stock
  • 200 ml (¾ cup) whole milk
  • 200 ml (¾ cup) thick crème fraîche
  • 60 g (2 oz) unsalted butter
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 bouquet garni thyme, bay leaf
  • 1 pinch nutmeg
  • 100 g (3½ oz) smoked lardons
  • 1 bunch of chives
  • 1 tsp fleur de sel (flaky sea salt)
  • 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
Serves 4. In the app, quantities adjust to the number of guests on their own — and the ingredients go straight to your shopping list.

02 — Equipment

1 large pot (5 L / 5 qt)1 immersion blender1 chef’s knife1 small skillet for the lardons1 wooden spoonBlack peppercorns

03 — Method

  1. Thinly slice the 2 onions and the leek white. Peel and dice the carrot. Slice the celery stalk.
  2. Remove the germ from the 3 garlic cloves and crush them.
  3. Heat 3 tbsp of olive oil and 30 g (1 oz) of butter in the large pot over medium heat and cook the onions, leek, carrot and celery for 10 minutes until soft and golden.
  4. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring.
  5. Add the 700 g (25 oz) of chestnuts, roughly halved. Pour in the hot chicken stock and milk and add the bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf) and nutmeg.
  6. Season with fleur de sel and plenty of pepper and simmer gently for 25 minutes.
  7. Remove the bouquet garni and blend right in the pot until perfectly smooth; add a little hot stock if too thick.
  8. Stir in the crème fraîche and the remaining 30 g (1 oz) of butter. Crisp the lardons in the small skillet for 5 minutes. Serve the soup topped with the lardons and chives.

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CategoryMain dishes