Pumpkin and chestnut soup

Pumpkin makes a soup that should be silky of texture and comforting of heart; chestnuts make sublime soups that are well worth the effort. So, what better than a combination of the two, which results in a creamy, sweet and earthy soup? For where to buy and how to prepare chestnuts, click here.

Ingredients

2 Tbsp	Unsalted butter
1 kg	Pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks (Main)
1	Onion, finely chopped
1	Potato, peeled and cut into chunks
2	Garlic cloves, chopped
1 kg	Chestnut, roasted and peeled (Main)
1	Bay leaf
1 Ltr	Chicken stock
1 Ltr	Water
125 ml	Cream

Directions

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a high heat. Add the pumpkin, potato, onion, garlic and bay leaf, then cook for 5 minutes.
2. Add the roasted chestnuts, stock and water, then bring to a simmer and cook until the vegetables and chestnuts are tender and breaking apart - about 30 minutes.
3. Purée this mixture until smooth. (A wand-type blender, that can be used in the saucepan, is good to use here.)
4. Return the purée to a gentle simmer, then add the cream and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Season with salt and pepper, then pass the soup through a fine sieve before serving. The soup may be thinned with a little hot water if necessary.