This Christmas Chestnut Sausage Soup with sweet root vegetables, rosemary, nutmeg, and dried cranberries is the recipe that screams “Christmas!” No fancy ingredients – that’s all about comfort food for the holiday season.
Hello, everyone.
I am going to keep it short and sweet this week, as I am planning on posting more recipes than I normally do. So many festive things I want to share with you – but at the same time I want to keep it nice and lazy around the Christmas holidays (Just to enjoy the time – not the blog!), so I’ve got to work harder for a few weeks.
Anyway – this Christmas Chestnut Sausage Soup. I can describe it in one word: DELICIOUS! The combination of chestnuts with sweet potatoes, parsnips, and celery root gives those sweet, cozy, and seasonal vibes. Rosemary and nutmeg accentuate the holiday vibes more. I also saw how dried cranberries were incorporated in one Christmas soup recipe, and I liked that idea, too. Certainly, cranberries make this soup even more festive. However, you can easily omit them – this soup already has enough natural sweetness. And the sausage? They’re nothing to deal with Christmas, but I just though why not? Some crispy sausage (with rosemary) on top will never hurt!
Finally, I must admit that developing Christmas soup ideas is getting one of my favourite aspects of the season. I have already shared two recipes this year (Check this Butternut Squash Mushroom Parmesan Soup and this Butternut Squash Chestnut Soup), and there would be one more idea soon. I hope you like this Christmas Chestnut Sausage Soup or any other published ideas and give it a try in December (Or better right away).
Cheers and see you shortly.
Notes
* Many vitamins and minerals are concentrated in the skins, so I didn’t peel it. You can either leave it on or remove.
** Adding a little butter while pureeing soup makes it luxuriously smooth and silky and improves the flavour. But that’s optional if you want to cut down on extra calories.
Ingredients
The Soup:
- 1 large sweet potato, unpeeled (Optional – See Notes), roughly cubed (about 3 cups)
- 2-3 medium parsnips, unpeeled (Optional), roughly sliced (about 1,5 cups)
- small celery root, peeled and roughly cubed (about 1,5 cups)
- 300-400 gr. cooked chestnuts (I used vacuum-packed)
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 3-5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 4-5 tbsp. butter, divided
- 1/2 – 1 whole nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp. fresh thyme
- 1/4 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp. white pepper
- salt, to taste
The Topping:
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 300-400 gr. sausage of your choice (Choose lean for a healthier option), roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary
- 2-3 tbsp. dried cranberries (optional)
- more grated nutmeg and thyme, for garnishing
Instructions
- In a large pot heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil with 1 tbsp. butter and cook the onions, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and nutmeg for 5 minutes.
- Add the root vegetables and chestnuts, cook 5 minutes over medium-high heat until start browning.
- Season with salt, white pepper, and paprika and add about 5-6 cups of water to completely cover the vegetables. Cover, decrease the heat, and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until the veggies are soft. Off heat and let it cool a bit until easy to handle.
- Puree in a blender in a few batches, each time adding a knob of butter (Between 3 to 4 tbsp. total) – See the Notes).
- Transfer back in the pot. Try and adjust seasoning if necessary. Also, you can add some water if the consistency is too thick to your liking. Heat the soup through.
- In meanwhile, heat in a pan 1 tbsp. olive oil and cook the sausage on medium-high a few minutes, until no longer pink.
- Add the rosemary and toss. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for about 5-7 minutes or until cooked through.
- Serve the soup with the sausages and cranberries, if desired. Sprinkle with extra nutmeg and thyme.
- Enjoy!
Hi – I’m Ben, a blogger, recipe developer, and food photographer. I’m glad you’re here! I hope you will enjoy hundreds of delicious recipes and a pinch of havoc in the kitchen.
I don’t think I’ve ever had chestnut soup, but I am totally down to try it! Chestnuts are readily available in all of our stores this time of the year, so I’ve got no excuse. And I love some good crispy sausage crumbled on the top of soup. You’ve got one heck of a delicious comfort food bowl right there, my friend. Perfect for sitting back and enjoying the winter holidays! (We’re getting DUMPED on with snow right now, so a bowl of soup sounds awesome!)
David @ Spiced recently posted…Esther’s Sugar Cookies
I love chestnut soup but you’ve taken it up several notches here Ben by adding sausage to it. I love that! What a great winter soup. It’s hit -6 here and I definitely need a hot bowl of this now!
Neil recently posted…Baked Cranberry Oatmeal
I love sausage in soup and this one sounds like a winner. It’s a mild morning, but with snow in the forecast, a big bowl of your chestnut soup would hit the spot!