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Meat, Meal soups and plant based

Chestnut soup with bacon and croutons

Chestnut soup with bacon and croutons is an autumn soup for 4, ready in 40 minutes, rated easy, at €2.60 per serving. Cooked chestnuts give a soft, slightly starchy base, cream smooths it out, and the trick is a long blend that removes every grain. Bacon bits and croutons fried in their own fat add the crunch the soup would otherwise miss.

Tonight, a silky chestnut soup with crispy bacon bits and golden croutons, the kind of weeknight soup that feels like a celebration.

Chestnut soup with bacon and croutons
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€2.60
Calories per person
660 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Fall, Winter

This soup has the texture of a special occasion dish, smooth and dense, carried by the sweet, slightly starchy flavor of chestnuts. Potato thickens it without weighing it down, cream rounds out the edges, and the chicken stock gives a quiet savory base that lets the chestnut lead. It is a soup with real body, far from the light green vegetable soups you make on a random weeknight.

Bacon fried until crisp and croutons toasted in that same fat change everything, bringing the crunch and saltiness that wake up the sweetness of the chestnuts. Make this on a weeknight when you want something warm and a bit more dressed up than a plain soup, or serve it to open a dinner for adults on a fall Sunday. Mon Chou puts it on the menu as soon as the weather turns cold.

The ingredients

4 people

Pantry

  • Cooked vacuum packed chestnuts 400 g
  • Chicken stock cubeoften in the pantry 1
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potato 1
  • Onion 1
  • Chives 1 bunch

Dairy

  • Heavy cream 10 cl
  • Butter 20 g

Butcher

  • Smoked bacon bits 150 g

Bakery

  • Country bread 5 slices

Allergens Gluten, Lactose, Celery

The step by step recipe

  1. Melt the butter, add the diced onion and the diced potato, and let them sweat. 5 min

    Don't let them brown, the onion should stay translucent.

  2. Add the chestnuts, cover with a liter of water along with the crumbled stock cube, and let it cook. 20 min

    Set aside 4 chestnuts for the topping.

  3. Brown the bacon in a dry pan, then cube the bread and toast it in the rendered fat. 8 min

    The fat from the bacon is enough to brown the croutons, no oil needed.

  4. Blend the soup with the cream, season with pepper, and reheat without boiling.

    Don't add salt until you've tasted it, the bacon already adds plenty.

  5. Pour into bowls, and top with bacon, croutons, crumbled chestnuts, and chives.

    Plate at the last minute, the croutons soften fast.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick good quality vacuum packed cooked chestnuts, since they are the main ingredient and carry most of the flavor.
  • If the soup is too thick after blending, loosen it with a bit of hot water rather than more cream, to keep the flavors balanced.
  • Fry the croutons right before serving, since they lose their crunch within minutes once they touch the hot soup.

The variations

  • Swap the smoked bacon for turkey bacon for a lighter version.
  • For a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock and swap the bacon for sauteed mushrooms.
  • To save time, skip the homemade croutons and use store bought ones warmed for two minutes in a pan.

What to serve it with

  • A well seasoned green salad
  • Extra toasted country bread
  • A cold dry cider

Storage

This soup keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well without the toppings, up to 2 months, and reheats gently without boiling. Make the croutons and bacon fresh right before serving so they stay crunchy.

Questions about this dish

Can I use fresh chestnuts instead of vacuum packed ones?

Yes, just peel them and boil them for about 20 minutes before adding them in. It takes a bit more prep time, but the flavor will be just as good.

How do I avoid a grainy soup?

Blend it long, at least two to three minutes, with a strong immersion blender or a stand blender. If some fibers resist, pass the soup through a fine sieve before reheating.

Can I make this soup ahead of time?

Yes, prepare the base up to the blending step and keep it in the fridge for a day or two. Reheat it gently and cook the bacon and croutons right before serving.

What kind of bread works best for the croutons?

A slightly stale country loaf holds up better during cooking and soaks up the bacon fat nicely. Avoid soft sandwich bread, since it turns soggy faster once in the soup.

How long does it take to make a chestnut soup with bacon and croutons?

Count 40 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a chestnut soup with bacon and croutons?

About 660 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a chestnut soup with bacon and croutons cost?

About €2.60 per serving, or €10.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, lactose, celery. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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