Sopa de Castanhas

Name: Sopa de Castanhas
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Portuguese
Ingredients: 500g Chestnuts, peeled; fresh or vacuum-packed cooked; 1 Onion, chopped; 1 Leeks, white part, sliced; 2 cloves of Garlic, sliced; 2 Carrots, diced; 2 medium Potatoes, diced; 200g Portuguese Cabbage, couve galega or Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced; 100g Portuguese Chouriço, sliced; 1 Bay Leaf; 2 tbsp Olive Oil; 1.2 l Water; 1 tsp Salt, to taste; Some Pepper (Black), to taste

Sopa de Castanhas is a comforting, velvety Portuguese chestnut soup brightened with vegetables and finished with smoky chouriço. It blends the natural sweetness of chestnuts, carrots and potatoes with the gentle bite of leek and garlic for a soul-warming bowl perfect for crisp evenings. Crisped chouriço and a drizzle of olive oil add savory contrast and depth.

Sopa de Castanhas is a comforting, velvety Portuguese chestnut soup brightened with vegetables and finished with smoky chouriço. I... Show more

Traditional Portuguese Recipe

Health Grade

B+ · Healthy

Time

1 hr20 min

Price

1,64 €

Calories

429 kcal

low calorie

easy

one pot

gluten free

Method

Prepare chestnuts

If you're using fresh Chestnuts, score each shell with a sharp knife, cover them with Water in a small pot, and boil for 20 minutes until the shells split open. Drain them and peel them while they're still warm, removing both the shell and the thin brown skin. If you're using vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts, just drain them and set them aside.

Prep the vegetables

Peel and chop the Onion. Trim the Leeks, wash the white part very well to remove any grit, and slice it. Peel the Garlic and slice it thinly. Peel and dice the Carrots and Potatoes. Thinly slice the Portuguese Cabbage, and slice the Portuguese Chouriço into rounds.

Cook the aromatics

Heat the Olive Oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the Bay Leaf, onion, leeks, garlic, and chouriço, and cook, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes until the onion softens and the chouriço starts to release a little fat.

Simmer the soup

Add the chestnuts, carrots, potatoes, water, Salt, and Black Pepper, then bring everything to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chestnuts and vegetables are very tender. For a slightly thicker soup, mash a few chestnuts and potato pieces against the side of the pot with your spoon during the last few minutes.

Finish with cabbage

Stir in the cabbage and cook for 5 minutes more, just until it softens but stays bright green. Remove the bay leaf, taste the soup, and add a little more salt or pepper if needed.

Serve hot

Ladle the soup into warm bowls and make sure each serving gets a good mix of chestnuts, vegetables, cabbage, and chouriço. Serve immediately while hot.