Chestnut Mushroom Soup

This is a lovely filling winter soup. It’s mildly sweet from the chestnuts and parsnips yet also earthy from the mushrooms. It is fancy enough to be used for a holiday, but also delicious as an everyday meal.

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 1 white onion, chopped
• 2 medium parsnips, peeled ad chopped
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1/4 celeriac (celery root), peeled and chopped
• 5-6 ounces prepared chestnuts
• 3 cups vegetable bouillon
• 2 springs thyme
• 2 tablespoons soy yogurt
• salt and pepper to taste
• garnished with a few slices of fried leek, a few mushroom slices, thyme leaves and red peppercorns (optional)

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a soup pot.
2. Add the chopped onions and begin to sauté.
3. Add the chopped parsnips and celeriac and continue sautéing.
4. Add the sliced mushrooms and the vegetable bouillon.
5. Strip the leaves from the thyme, reserving a few as garnish and add the rest to the soup.
6. Add the prepared chestnuts.
7. If you wish to garnish with some mushroom slices, remove them from the soup now.
8. When the vegetables and chestnuts have softened, puree the soup (I use an immersion blender).
9. Add the soy yogurt and puree once again.
10. Season to taste with salt and pepper if needed.
11. If you wish a thinner soup, you might consider some dry white wine, or more vegetable stock, water or soy yogurt.
12. Slice the white part of a leek into rings, and separate.
13. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small frying pan. When the oil is very hot add the leek rings which will sizzle and brown right away.
14. Immediately remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel.
15. Serve the hot soup in bowls, garnished with floating mushroom pieces, some fried leeks and a few thyme leaves also possibly some red peppercorns for color.

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• Vegan Chestnut, Coconut and Rum Parfaits
• Vegan Holiday Recipes 2011