Chestnut soup with porcini mushrooms

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 ml vegetable stock
• 1 m.-sized carrot(s), peeled
• 1 m.-sized potatoes, mainly waxy, peeled
• 400 g chestnuts, cooked, peeled
• ½ cinnamon stick(s)
• 1 small onion(s), peeled
• 100 g bacon, diced
• some butter for frying
• 200 g porcini mushrooms, cleaned, alternatively 50 g dried and soaked
• 1 cup whipped cream (200 g)
• Salt and pepper, black, from the mill
• 4 tsp cream, whipped, or sour cream to taste
• 1 bunch parsley, preferably flat

Instructions

Working time approx. 25 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 55 minutes

Chanterelles can also be used instead of porcini mushrooms

Cook the finely diced carrot and potato in the vegetable broth over medium heat for about 10 minutes until soft. Add the pre-cooked and peeled chestnuts and the cinnamon, and simmer for another 10 minutes over low heat. Sauté the finely diced onion and diced bacon for about 5 minutes. Allow the onion to brown and crisp. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. In the same pan, immediately add the very finely chopped mushrooms and a little butter and sauté over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Then, turn off the heat and let it simmer for a while. Remove half the cinnamon stick from the broth. Add the mushrooms and the cup of unwhipped cream, and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon a little of the fried onion and bacon mixture into a soup bowl or soup plate. Carefully pour the soup over the mushrooms. Serve immediately with a dollop of whipped cream or a teaspoon of sour cream and freshly chopped parsley sprinkled on top.