Mushroom and Chestnut Soup (Zuppa di Funghi e Castagne)

Zuppa di funghi e castagne (mushroom and chestnut soup) is a Tuscan autumn soup of woodland mushrooms and chestnuts. You simmer them in stock, blend a little of the soup to thicken the broth, and finish each bowl with raw olive oil.

A Perfect Autumn Soup

This Tuscan mushroom and chestnut soup turns up across southern Siena province, from the slopes of Monte Amiata to the Val d’Orcia. Monte Amiata is an old volcano on the border between Siena and Grosseto provinces. Its chestnuts carry IGP status as Castagna del Monte Amiata, an EU label that ties a food to the place it comes from.

Mushrooms and chestnuts come out of the same woods in the same weeks of autumn, so cooks in this part of Tuscany have always had both to hand. Restaurants and farm kitchens around the mountain still put this soup on the table once the chestnut harvest starts.

The method is simple. A soffritto (onion, carrot and celery cooked slowly in olive oil) goes into the pan first. The mushrooms follow, then the stock and the boiled chestnuts. After a slow simmer, you blend two ladles of the soup and stir them back in. That thickens the broth but keeps plenty of whole mushroom and chestnut pieces in every spoonful.

Ingredients for Chestnut and Mushroom Soup

Fresh chestnuts in their shells give the best result, so look for heavy, glossy nuts with no holes or cracks. Vacuum-packed peeled chestnuts work as a shortcut, but check the pack says unsweetened. Porcini (Italy’s most prized wild mushroom) give the best flavour if you can find them, fresh or frozen. A mix of woodland mushrooms works well when you can’t. If you like chestnuts and mushrooms together, try them in a pasta too: pasta con castagne e funghi uses the same pairing with a chestnut cream.

Buon appetito! 🇮🇹

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Tuscan Mushroom and Chestnut Soup (Zuppa di Funghi e Castagne)

A Tuscan autumn soup of mixed woodland mushrooms and chestnuts. Blending a few chestnuts into the broth thickens it, and a drizzle of raw olive oil finishes it.

Equipment

• Large saucepan with a lid
• Medium saucepan
• Sharp knife
• Chopping Board
• Blender, or a stick blender with a tall jug
• Ladle

Ingredients

• 400 grams mixed woodland mushrooms (wiped clean, tough stalks trimmed, large ones cut into chunks)
• 300 grams fresh chestnuts in their shells (about 200 grams once boiled and peeled)
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• 1 carrot (finely chopped)
• 1 stick celery (finely chopped)
• 1 pinch red chilli flakes ((to taste))
• 1 litre vegetable stock (kept hot)
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (plus extra to finish)
• Salt
• 4 slices country bread (toasted)

Instructions 

• Cut a slit across the curved side of each chestnut. Boil them in plenty of water for 30 to 40 minutes, until soft right through.
• Drain the chestnuts. While they’re still warm, peel off the shell and the thin inner skin together.
• Heat the oil in the large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot and celery and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and lightly golden.
• Add the chilli and the mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the mushrooms soften and give up their juices.
• Pour in the hot stock and the chestnuts and put the lid on. Turn the heat down low and simmer for 25 minutes.
• Put two ladles of chestnuts and mushrooms in a blender or tall jug, and blend into a thick puree.
• Stir blended puree back into the pan and bring the soup back to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes. Taste it and add salt if needed
• Ladle the soup into bowls over or beside the toasted bread and finish with a drizzle of raw olive oil.

Notes

1. Porcini give the best flavour when you can find them, fresh or frozen. Use 400 grams in place of the mixed mushrooms.
2. Vacuum-packed peeled chestnuts save the boiling and peeling. Use 200 grams, and make sure they’re unsweetened.
3. For a more filling soup, add 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced, with the mushrooms in step 4.