Ingredients:

30g Butter

2 tblsp Olive Oil

2 bacon rashers finely sliced

1 Large Brown Onion finely chopped

2 Sticks Celery finely chopped

2 Carrots finely chopped

3 Cloves Garlic finely chopped

20 Large Chestnuts (250-300g)

3 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock

1/4 cup heavy cream

A few sprigs of fresh Thyme

To Serve: Cream, crumbled cooked bacon bits, thyme leaves & Pepper

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Method:

In a large saucepan saute brown onion, celery, carrots, garlic and bacon in olive oil and butter until soft.

Add peeled Chestnuts, stock (adjust the amount of stock for a thinner or thicker soup) and thyme and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove Thyme, puree - and stir through cream.

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To Peel Chestnuts:

Slit each chestnut. Place in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook 5 minutes. Take out a couple at a time, peel off the outer shell and the inner brown skin. Reheat if they cool down. This is slow and tedious.

The more chestnuts you add, the richer and thicker the soup.

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