I suppose one of the reasons that keeps me from writing recipes here more often is this internal and eternal conflict I have between the idea that I have to test each recipe at least twice before sharing it, and the fact that I hardly make anything exactly the same way twice. I always tweak something, either the ingredients, the quantities or the method, and then I can’t choose the version I like best because most of the time I like them all. To overcome this conflict I decided to ignore it, and will try sharing the first version of what I feel like sharing anyway.

About this creamy wintry soup, while there’s nothing new about mushrooms or chestnuts in a soup, I thought that using a tea instead of a stock or plain water would be interesting. Well, firstly I thought of using coffee, but I’m avoiding coffee lately, so kukicha tea, aka twig tea (or Chá de três anos, in Portuguese), popped into my mind since that’s what I’m having for breakfast instead. Kukicha tea has a nutty, roasted flavor that pairs well with mushrooms and chestnuts. Plain, this soup is a great starter, but topped with loads of caramelized onions and a wintry pesto, it’s a perfect hearty supper.

Creamy shiitake & chestnut soup with sage & almond pesto

For the pesto:
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, tightly packed
A handful of roasted almonds
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the sage leaves and the almonds in a food processor or grinder and pulse until finely chopped. Otherwise you can also chop it by hand. Place it in a small container and add the olive oil and the seasonings and stir. Keep in fridge until ready to use.

For the creamy soup:
1 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped
1 cup chestnuts, previously boiled and skinned
2 1/2 cups strongly brewed kukicha tea
Salt & pepper to taste

To serve:
Caramelized onions

In a medium size pan, heat the olive oil and stir fry the shallots for about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and do the same for about 3 minutes or until they start to brown. Add the chestnuts and the tea, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes, with a lid on top. Pour it in a blender and blend until perfectly smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediatly with caramelized onions and a spoonful of pesto.

Serves 2