Recipe: Chestnut Soup

1 Peel the chestnuts by scoring them, then bring salted water to a boil and plunge them for a few minutes until you can remove the thin skin that surrounds them.

2 Then cook in 2.1 qt (2 liters) of salted water by adding the crushed star anise.

3 Thinly slice your vegetables, then sweat them in a casserole with 1.1 oz (30 g) of butter gently covered for 5 minutes, then moisten with 3.2 cups (75 cl) of water, salt and pepper. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes at a gentle boil.

4 When the chestnuts are cooked (they crush under your fingers), drain them and pass them quickly through a vegetable mill with a fine grid and keep.

5 Your vegetable soup is cooked, place it off the heat then add the chestnut puree, blend while adding cream and butter.

6 Adjust the seasoning and serve this cream very hot, a real treat.
Vivarais is a region located between Loire and Rhône which includes among other things the department of Ardèche.
The term MARRON refers to a variety of CHESTNUT that produces less than 12% of partitioned fruits (the almond of the fruit is separated in two) conversely the name CHESTNUT refers to varieties producing more than 12% of partitioned fruits. Warning, do not confuse with the fruit of the horse chestnut tree which is not edible.
SCORE the chestnuts: with a sharp knife, make an incision on each chestnut along its entire circumference to facilitate peeling after cooking.