This soup is warm and welcoming, not too difficult to prepare, and has a really special, exotic flavor. It’s a Yom Tov hit in our house. The amount of olive oil may seem like a lot, but remember that this is soup for a crowd, so the amount of oil in each individual portion comes out to significantly less than five tablespoons! You could however use less oil if desired.

Directions

Prepare the Soup

Preheat oven to 420 degrees Fahrenheit.

Clean the mushrooms well and slice. Place mushrooms along with sliced shallots and chestnuts on a large cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Toss mushrooms, shallots, and chestnuts with the oil and spices.

Roast for about 45 minutes until mushrooms and shallots have caramelized.

Place the chicken broth in a large pot. Once the chestnut mixture is done roasting add to the chicken broth. Add the white wine. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Heat over a medium flame for approximately 15 minutes. Close the flame and add the fresh dill. With a stick blender blend the soup till it has a smooth, creamy consistency.

Garnish with whole chestnuts and/or fresh dill, if desired.

Notes:

Don’t go too heavy on the salt during the roasting stage. Remember that the chicken broth will add a lot of salt (more or less depending on whether you make your own, use store-bought, or use bouillon).