Smooth chestnut & cauliflower soup with roasted walnuts

Préparation: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Easy

$

I love fall. Its colours and lights are an excuse to get up at the crack of dawn and admire the forest waking-up.

I am an early riser and when my trainings allow me, I run in the mountain. The sight is incredible and I can loose myself up there for hours. Looking back at it, I think that fall is the only period were I run for real, I love October’s fresh sensation that caresses us.

Fall as this comforting “little something”, which, once you’re back home, makes you fell in a cosy nest. The freshness settles to make us thing about winter time.

I’d love to have a van to get lost in the forest, a small cocoon in the middle of nowhere seeking for wonderfull landscape and little treasures: Mushrooms, chestnuts, wild plants… There’s so many things to discover in between to running sessions.

It is with this in mind that Maud, a good friend, and I went picking chestnuts at the sun rise. I have been told about a magical spot in the Alps, Aiguebelette, where there was plainly of chestnuts up to the road. I was curious to see it.

It was 5.45 when the alarm ringed, we were ready in not time to cross roads to discover the perfect spot. With a “not very efficient” GPS, we finally found the road and were facing the trees after a few turns. Let me tell you that what was said was true, chestnuts were flooding and when the lights pierced the woods, the spectacle was magical.

Everything could have went perfectly if we had though about gloves, of course, chestnuts pricks and what a pain! A couple of spikes were super happy to nest in our poor little hands.

A couples of pictures and a full basket later, the morning was already well started.

Everyone has their savoy or sweet favourite chestnuts recipes. I did a “fall spread” on the blog I work for. It’s in french though but I’ll share it with you in english here soon!

But today, I wanted to cook you an easy yet delicious soup. A true ode to fall and its softness, it subtil association to cauliflower is enhanced by the roasted walnuts and the parmesan cheese.

For the vegans, just replace the cheese by thin slices of raw fennel.

This soup can be served as a started if you host some friends of as a main dish. Perfect for a lovely Sunday evening.

Have a lovely evening,

Je vous embrasse,

Anouck

1 cauliflower

200 gr. of boiled chestnuts (during 40 minutes)

2 hands of wallnuts

Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp lemon peel powder

4 “real” pinches of black pepper

Salt

1. Roast the walnuts for 20 minutes at 350 F.

2. Use a pressure cooker and cook the cauliflower, diced, for about 4 to 5 minutes in the water. Keep the cooking water.

3. In a blender, add the cauliflower, the water (about 1,5 cup), the chestnuts and the spices.

4. Blend well, the more you’ll blend, the creamier and smoother it will get.

5. We’re all set, poor the soup in a bowl and top with the nuts and the cheese.

Bon appétit!