Chestnut Soup With Creme Fraiche

This is one of my favorite recipes and it's always on my menu for Christmas Eve dinner.  If you can't find  prepared chestnuts in a jar, there's a simple way of roasting them.   I used to be able to find them at Williams-Sonoma or other specialty stores but this year they are nowhere to be found.  Fresh chestnuts can be found in the produce area of most supermarkets at this time of the year.

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 Tbs unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1/4 tsp ground cloves
15 oz whole peeled chestnuts
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
Salt & pepper to taste
1/3 cup creme fraiche
Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)

Procedure

In a soup pot over medium heat, melt butter.  Add onions and cloves.  Saute, stir until translucent. 4-5 min.

Add chestnuts and broth, bring to a boil and reduce heat to low.  Simmer for 20 mins.  In a blender or food processor, puree soup until smooth.  return soup to pot.  Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish each with one tsp. creme fraiche and a pinch of chopped parsley.