Autumn and early winter are the season for chestnuts, which is why they’re particularly popular in festive dishes. With a very subtle flavour themselves, chestnuts make a great accompaniment to many side dishes and veggie mains. Always playing a supporting role, rarely the star.
But when you consider the nutritional benefits of chestnuts, maybe they should be given a higher accolade as there’s a pretty hefty selection of nutrients in these funny looking nuts.
For a start, there’s a lot of different minerals found in chestnuts including good amounts of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, manganese, iron, zinc and copper. On top of that, there’s a range of powerful antioxidants like vitamin C, gallic and ellagic acid and various polyphenols including leutein and zeaxanthin which are important for eye health.
Chestnut is the nut with the lowest amount of fat, something I remember from my days of following Rosemary Connolly’s low fat diet program (chestnut was the only nut allowed!). It’s predominantly monounsaturated fat (MUFA) which is a healthy fat that help minimise cell degradation. There’s some protein in them too; not a massive amount but it all counts.
The other key nutrient in chestnuts is fibre (as I now consider fibre to be it’s own nutrient group because of how essential it is to health 😉 ). There is a lot of resistant starch in these nuts as well as insoluble fibre. Both are very much enjoyed by friendly bacteria in the microbiome.
Consuming diverse sources of fibre increases the variety and amount of beneficial bacteria. They ferment it to produce tiny compounds called short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) which they thrive on. But these fatty acids are not just gut bug food; they have numerous functions in the body including looking after the gut lining, moderating immune function and even communicate with the brain.
Cooking softens the resistant starch in the chestnuts, making it more digestable. It also creates a rich, creamy texture which complements the cauliflower, making this soup a luscious and somewhat decadent tasty soup, perfect for festive celebrations.
I recommend using a Merchant Gourmet sachet of pureed chestnuts, basically because they have done all the hard work for you! Alternatively, use whole cooked and peeled chestnuts; the soup will require extra cooking time though. If you happen to have some roasted garlic to hand, use that instead of adding fresh garlic to the pan. This will add another level of richness to the overall flavour.
Really simple to make, this soup tastes like you’ve put a lot of work into it – a culinary result when there’s so much else to do. I hope you enjoy making and serving this over the holiday period, basking in the admiration of your guests or just serving up a quiet treat.
For more tasty and healthy festive recipes, don’t forget to check out the Christmas recipes tag in the menu, or pop Christmas into the category search.
Festive cauliflower and chestnut soup
Ingredients
Method
- Prepare the leeks and garlic as above. Remove the cauliflower stems from the florets. Chop the stems and put to one side. Chop the florets and reserved leaves.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of water in the base of a large saucepan. Add the leeks, cauliflower stems and bay leaf. Saute on a medium heat for 5 minutes until the leek is softened. Add extra water if needed.
- Add the raw garlic if using and continue to saute for a couple of minutes.
- Tip the chopped cauliflower florets and leaves into the pan along with the dried thyme. If you are using chopped chestnuts, add these to the pan now. Cover with vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
- Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the chestnut puree to the pan and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes or until the cauliflower and chestnuts are soft and a little mushy.
- Turn off the heat and add the dairy free milk to the pan. Blend to smooth with a stick blender then put the pan back on the heat and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Simmer for another 5 minutes to make sure everything is piping hot. Season with salt and pepper.
- Serve the soup garnished with a sprinkle of chopped chestnuts and thyme and a glug of flaxseed or olive oil.
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