Dirk’s version of Dawn’s Chestnut Soup

This is a great recipe given to me by our good friend Dawn - who's a great cook. I've modified it slightly, as I'm prone to do. It's a thick, winter soup that's hearty and flavoursome. A little goes a long way. Don't overcook it otherwise you'll be parping for days to come!

Shopping list:
300g fresh chestnuts or 250g vacuum packed or tinned, roasted chestnuts; 1 small head of celery; 2 medium carrots; 1 medium parsnip; 1 large onion; 1 medium leek; 50g butter; 75ml Marsala, Madiera or Medium Sweet Sherry; 1 litre of vegetable stock; a handful each of fresh thyme and fresh parsley; salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Method:
First of all, prepare the chestnuts. Roast the fresh chestnuts in a moderate oven for around 10 mins. When cool enough to handle, peel (including the inner membrane). Discard any brown chestnuts. The chestnuts can be a bit fiddly to peel, so alternatively use vacuum packed or tinned. Roughly chop the chestnuts. Dice the vegetables and remove the herbs from their stalks and finely chop.

In a soup pan, melt the butter and sweat the chopped onion, thinly-sliced leek, diced celery (with leaves), diced carrots and parsnip and the chopped thyme for a good 15 minutes over a low heat, until softened. Add the Marsala and leave for a minute to burn off the alcohol, then add the chopped chestnuts and vegetable stock. Season to taste. Bring to a gentle boil and cook for a further 15 minutes. Add a good handful of chopped fresh parsley at the end, the cool a little and liquidise.

Storage and serving:
The soup can be kept in the fridge (once cooled) in a sealed container for 2-3 days. Alternatively it freezes well and can be kept frozen for up to 2 months. Defrost thoroughly and boil gently for a good 5 minutes, stirring often to avoid sticking to the pan - it’s a thick soup!

Serve with some warm, pumpkin bread and a sparkler on Halloween or Guy Fawkes Night.