Creamy Apple Chestnut Soup

I can't take any credit for this. This was on CHOW this am, but I made a similar recipe about 1 year ago which I fell in love with. I lost the original recipe which came from a Southern Living Magazine I believe, but this one is by Aida Mollenkamp. If I remember right, this is almost identical to the recipe that I originally made mine from. It is an excellent Fall soup. I remember the dinner party where I first served it. Everyone was somewhat health conscious, so I tried to do Fall flavors a bit lighter. So I served a hearty bleu cheese vinaigrette and walnut salad with roasted pears, beets and figs, Creamy havarti baguettes for the soup and Chardonney turkey sliders on whole wheat buns. Baked pumpkin spiced cookies for dessert with coffee. OK ... it was Fall, even though it was 90 in Florida ... and besides football was on. So I just had to share this soup recipe because it is so good.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 4-6 Small Bowls

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 2  cups  coarsely chopped shallots
• 1  cup  coarsely chopped celery
• 4  cups apples (peeled and coarsely chopped, Pink Lady or Gala apples)
• 1  tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped
• 20  ounces  whole peeled chestnuts (about 3 cups)
• 3  cups vegetable broth
• 2  cups water
• 1  cup  unsweetened apple juice

• Note

•  my original recipe did have 1/4 cup  cream (optional)

• Garnish

•  parsley crouton (I made baguettes topped with melted havarti and chopped fresh parsley)

Directions

1. Base Vegetables -- Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. When it foams, add olive oil, shallots, and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Fruit and Seasoning -- Add apples and sage, season with additional salt and pepper, and cook, stirring rarely, until apples are tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Chestnuts -- add broth, water, and apple juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until apples and celery are tender, about 15 minutes.
4. Finishing -- Using a blender, purée soup in batches. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve garnished with croutons.
5. NOTE -- Now as I mentioned, a great simple salad with walnuts, roasted pears, beets and figs, some onions, bleu cheese vinaigrette is a perfect side. And then some Chardonney turkey sliders make this a perfect fall meal. The soup was made ahead as were the burgers and the roasted veggies and fruit for the salad. It took 20 minutes to grill, make the sides for the burgers and put together the salad. And grill up some drunken olives to get everyone started and you have a great party.