Vegetarian and Vegan Roasted Chestnut Soup

By
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett
Jolinda Hackett has written five books about plant-based cooking and has developed hundreds of vegan and vegetarian recipes.
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Updated on 03/7/22
Easy vegan roasted chestnut soup

The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Total: 55 mins
Servings: 5 to 6 servings

Looking for the perfect roasted chestnut soup recipe? This simple vegetarian and vegan bowl is a fall or winter soup to be savored on a chilly Thanksgiving or Christmas evening or for any fall or winter dinner occasion.

Not everyone likes the subtle nutty flavors of chestnuts, but if you do, then you'll love this easy soup. The recipe is also vegan as long as you use vegan margarine or oil (and not butter) and soymilk in place of dairy milk. In addition, all of the ingredients can be gluten free, but you'll need to check the ingredients list of your vegetable broth, or buy one that's specifically labeled as gluten-free. 

Around the holidays, most grocery stores carry roasted and peeled chestnuts that are ready to use in a recipe such as this one (for the best taste, avoid the ones in the can or in a jar in liquid and instead look for any kind in a vacuum-sealed bag). At other times of the year, prepared chestnuts can be a bit trickier to find, so you may want to plan well in advance and buying them online if you have trouble finding them. Buying chestnuts fresh and roasting and peeling them by hand is also an option of course, though it is quite a fair bit of work to do. If you do want to roast fresh chestnuts, they'll need about 30 minutes in the oven at 425 F.

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Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegan margarine, or olive oil

  • 1 carrot, minced

  • 1 stalk celery, minced

  • 1 onion, minced

  • 6 cups vegetable broth

  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 12 ounces chestnuts, roasted and peeled

  • 1/4 cup unsweetened soymilk

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Ingredients for vegan roasted chestnut soup
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  2. In a large soup or stock pot, saute the minced carrot, celery, and onion in the vegan margarine or oil until very soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.

    Chopped vegetables
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  3. Next, add the vegetable broth to the pot and stir to combine well.

    Add vegetable broth
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  4. Add the chopped fresh parsley, cloves, bay leaves, and the roasted and peeled chestnuts. Bring the mixture a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and allow to simmer, covered, for about 30 minutes.

    Add chopped parsley
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  5. Remove from heat and take out the bay leaves.

    Remove from the heat
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  6. Puree the soup in a blender or process until desired consistency is reached (completely puree it smooth or leave a few chunks—up to you!). 

    Puree
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  7. Return the chestnut soup to the pot. Over medium low heat, stir in the soy milk and allow to cook until heated through again.

    Return chestnut soup to pot
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  8. Season generously with salt and pepper before serving.

    Season soup
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

  9. Serve and enjoy!

    Easy vegan roasted chestnut recipe
    The Spruce Eats / Anastasiia Tretiak

Use Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
219 Calories
7g Fat
36g Carbs
3g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 5 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 219
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7g 9%
Saturated Fat 1g 7%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 782mg 34%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 13%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 3g
Vitamin C 21mg 104%
Calcium 40mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 481mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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