Creamy Kale Soup with Chestnuts and Walnut Topping

A creamy kale and potato soup with chestnuts and crispy walnuts that can be prepared the day before. Before serving, just reheat, finish with bacon and pumpkin seed oil, and impress your guests with a small starter.

By yumbelo · 6 servings · 60 minutes

Ingredients

• 600 g Kale, cleaned
• 600 g floury potatoes
• 2 pc onions
• 2 pc garlic cloves
• 1 pc tart apple
• 100 g bacon cubes
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1.2 l vegetable stock
• 150 ml cream
• 100 g precooked chestnuts
• 40 g walnut kernels, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seed oil
• pinch nutmeg, freshly grated
• salt
• pepper

Method

1. Wash the kale, remove the tough stems and roughly chop the leaves. Blanch briefly in boiling salted water for about 3 minutes, drain and refresh in cold water.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into roughly 1 cm cubes. Finely dice the onions and garlic. Peel, core and also dice the apple.
3. Toast the walnut kernels in a dry pan without fat over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant, then remove and let cool.
4. Fry the bacon cubes in a large pot with the cooking oil over medium heat until crispy. Set aside one third of the bacon for garnish.
5. Add the butter, onions and garlic to the bacon and sweat for 4 to 5 minutes until translucent. Add the apple and potatoes and sweat for 2 more minutes.
6. Deglaze with the vegetable stock, bring to a boil and cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes until soft. Add the kale and simmer for another 5 minutes.
7. Purée the soup finely with an immersion blender, stir in the cream and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Let cool for making ahead and keep in the refrigerator for up to one day.
8. To serve, slowly reheat the soup on the stove, stirring occasionally and not letting it boil again. Crumble the chestnuts coarsely, sprinkle with the walnuts and the reserved bacon, and serve with a few drops of pumpkin seed oil.