Potato Chestnut Soup overflows with delicious earthy, warming flavors. Made with fresh roasted chestnuts and rosemary, this is an ideal fall and winter soup, and is especially lovely during the holiday season. 
Chestnuts are a unique, subtly soft nut that are especially delicious when roasted and paired with potatoes and rosemary.
They help give this comforting soup its rich, earthy flavor and creamy texture.
Potato Chestnut Soup is made with a handful of basic ingredients that create a truly special warming fall and winter dish.
Do you have to cook chestnuts?
Yes! Chestnuts must be cooked before you eat or use them in chestnut recipes.
In stores — mostly during the holiday season — you can find chestnuts steamed and jarred, or puréed and canned, and shelled and roasted in the refrigerated, produce section of most markets.
In this recipe, the chestnuts are roasted.
* Here's How to Roast and Peel Chestnuts *
Spiced Chestnut Garnish
- The crunchy, sweet and spicy chestnut garnish on this soup is nothing short of spectacular. Really, I could munch on it all day.
- This garnish adds interest to the soup, and it's so pretty floating on top -- it's one of my favorite chestnut recipes in an of itself!
(The chestnut garnish is also fantastic added to salads!)
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
- Here is a step-by-step tutorial on How to Roast and Peel Chestnuts. To save time, you can purchase them already roasted and peeled. In November and December they should be in most stores, and you can also get them here.
- The flavor and richness of vegetable stocks vary from brand to brand, and of course if they're homemade. Always try to get one with little to no sodium. This way you can better control the seasoning in your dish.
- It's also okay to use vegetable broth, which will be richer. If you do, for this recipe, I'd suggest diluting it with water (about 3 to 1, broth to water).
- Soups can vary in consistency — if this comes out thicker than you’d like, just add more vegetable stock.
- I always drizzle my soups with a little bit of olive oil. I love how it looks on individual servings, and it adds a touch of richness.
- The spiced chestnut garnish is optional. I'd opt in because it's delicious! 🙂
I hope you love this Potato Chestnut Soup as much and my family and I do!
More recipes with chestnuts:
- Chestnut Butter
- Chestnut Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten-Free)
- Red Wine Braised Chestnuts and Pearl Onions
- Italian Sausage Chestnut Pasta
Potato Chestnut Soup
This Potato Chestnut Soup overflows with delicious earthy, warming flavors. It's ideal for fall and winter, and is especially lovely during the holiday season.
*Prep time doesn't include roasting and peeling the chestnuts, which takes about 40 min. and can be done ahead). You can also buy them already roasted here.
For the Spiced Chestnut Garnish
- ¼ cup finely, roughly chopped roasted, peeled chestnuts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped, fresh rosemary, (washed and dried)
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon chipotle powder (OR pinch of cayenne)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the soup
- olive oil for the pot
- ¾ cup roughly chopped onion
- 2½ teaspoons finely chopped, fresh rosemary, (washed and dried)
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, (peeled and roughly chopped)
- ¾ pound roasted, peeled chestnuts (roughly chopped)
- 4 cups vegetable stock
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Spiced Chestnut Garnish
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Combine ingredients and sauté. In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well. Add the mixture to a small sauté pan and place it over medium-low heat. Sauté and stir just until it's golden brown, about 2 minutes. (Watch it carefully, as it can go from golden to burnt quickly.) Set aside until you serve the soup.
For the soup
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Cook the onions with rosemary and cloves. Coat the bottom a large soup pot with olive oil and place it over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 7 minutes. Add the rosemary and cloves and stir. Let it cook until it's very aromatic, about 30 seconds.
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Add chestnuts and potatoes. Add the chestnuts and potatoes and cook, stirring every so often, for about 5 minutes. Add the stock, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cover. Simmer the soup until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.
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Blend. Pour the soup into a powerful blender, and blend on high until it's completely smooth. This should only take about 15 seconds.
Please note that when you blend hot liquids in the blender, you have to hold down the lid very firmly. If you don't, the hot liquid, vibration, and steam can force the lid off.
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Season and serve. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's how.) Top each serving with the Spiced Chestnut Garnish.
Calorie count is only an estimate.
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angiesrecipes
The soup looks so creamy and moreish!
valentina
Thanks, Angie! Enjoy. 🙂 ~Valentina
Dawn
What a delicious and unique way to use chestnuts! I'm so excited about soup season and this one looks like a must try. Though, I can seriously enjoy soup all year long. I just love it! This one looks super creamy and I bet it would be lovely paired with some crusty bread!!
valentina
Hi Dawn. Yes, so good with crusty bread! Thank you for checking it out. 🙂 ~Valentina
Chef Mimi
I bet this is fabulous! I remember I bought jarred chestnuts from Williams-Sonoma once, and they were really dried up. Bummer.
valentina
Thanks, Mimi. You would likely love roasting them at home. The scent is delicious. 🙂 ~Valentina
Christina
You are the most creative cook, Valentina! I would never have thought to use chestnuts in a soup! My mother just loves them as they are a big thing in Italy. Thanks for the enticing recipe!
valentina
Thank you so much. My favorite way to eat them is out of a newspaper "cone" from a street vendor in Spain or Italy. (Not that that's a frequent occurrence!) 🙂 ~Valentina
David Scott Allen
I’ve been looking for an autumnal soup to serve before dinner, and I think this might be just the one! I have chestnuts in the refrigerator (already roasted, peeled, and vacuum packed). So all I need are some potatoes! Big yum!
valentina
So great to have roasted chestnuts at the ready. Hope you like it, Davie. Thanks! 🙂 ~Valentina
David Scott Allen
We made this last Christmas—it was wonderful, and very filling. We always have two or three soups for the holidays. Makes it easier not to overeat! This will be happening again!
valentina
I always seem to fail at not overeating on Thanksgiving. In fact, I use the term "Thanksgiving full" when I've eaten too much year round. Ha! A few soups would help -- love that! So happy you tried and enjoyed this soup. I always look forward to chestnut season. 🙂 ~Valentina
John / Kitchen Riffs
What a great looking soup! I haven't used chestnuts in a very long time, and now I'm craving them. 🙂 Such a nice recipe -- thanks.
valentina
'Tis the season to be craving them! Enjoy. Thanks, John. 🙂 ~Valentina
Alene
I have a chestnut soup recipe that I've made before. This one may be better. I will make a small batch for my husband and I as a test for myThanksgiving first course. Thank you! I adore chestnuts!
valentina
Hi Alene, I hope you love the soup. Chestnut season is so much fun!:-) ~Valentina
2pots2cook
Am I in Heaven ! We are crazy about chestnuts, everyway !!!! Thank you !
valentina
Thank you, Davorka. I adore chestnuts. Can't wait to see what you're cooking and baking with them this year. 🙂 ~Valentina
Vixenvena
I learned about chestnut soup from a movie with a giant pink bird and a guy with a top hat. All I can say is WOW! This is great. I added pineapple and topped with coconut. It is amazing!!!!
valentina
Hi there! I'm so happy you liked this recipe. Thanks so much for the note. The coconut an pineapple additions sound tasty -- and so interesting. I'll add a bit to mine next time. 🙂 ~Valentina
Nadira Shaikh
What a delicious and unique way to use chestnuts! I’m so excited about soup season and this one looks like a must try. Though, I can seriously enjoy soup all year long. I just love it! This one looks super creamy and I bet it would be lovely paired with some crusty bread!!
valentina
Thanks so much. Hope you love it when the weather cools. 🙂 ~Valentina
Linger, Kristy Murray
I have to admit that I've never made anything with chestnuts. But you have definitely inspired me with this soup recipe to try. I love how creamy this is. What a wonderful soup idea for the holiday season. Thanks so much Valentina for sharing.
valentina
Thank you, Kristy. After I had my first roasted chestnuts, I couldn't get enough. Hope you try and love the soup. 🙂 ~Valentina