Prepare chestnuts as a side dish: Tasty recipes with chestnuts for real connoisseurs

Whether roasted or cooked – chestnuts make the winter more beautiful. The aromatic chestnuts turn many dishes into real culinary works of art. Yes, the cold season has a lot to offer in terms of cuisine, because these delicacies can not only be served as a snack, but can also be made into various purees. We offer you some ideas on how to prepare chestnuts as a side dish: in the article you will find recipes for delicious soups with pumpkin, hearty combinations with goose and game, tasty ideas for pesto sauce.

Recipe for chestnut pesto as a side dish

Pesto is currently enjoying great popularity - it is used to flavor not only salads, but also numerous pasta dishes. The thick sauce is also ideal as a dip for fries or grilled food. We offer you a foolproof recipe for pesto and seasonal spices. You need about 20 minutes to prepare it. Difficulty level: easy. Servings: 4-6. Here comes a list of the necessary ingredients:

350 g raw chestnuts or 200 g ready-to-eat roasted or cooked chestnuts

1 teaspoon basil, finely chopped

1 teaspoon parsley, finely chopped

3 small or 2 medium garlic cloves

1 shallot

Salt and pepper

50 g Parmesan

1 tsp sesame oil

Preparation: First wash all vegetables and herbs and pat dry on kitchen paper. Then roast the raw chestnuts in the oven on a baking tray over medium heat for 30 minutes, or cook them in a pot covered with water for 6-7 minutes. Peel the chestnuts, let them cool and then cut them into halves. Cut the garlic cloves and shallot into large pieces. Then add the spices and chestnuts to the blender and puree until fine. Then grate the Parmesan and pulse for 1 minute. Season the finished creamy sauce with salt and pepper and stir well.

The already prepared pesto sauce goes well with fusilli pasta with mushrooms. Preparation time: 20 minutes, difficulty level: easy, 4 servings. Here are the ingredients for the aromatic dish, which can be served as a main course or as a side dish.

200 g fusilli pasta

5-6 tbsp sunflower oil

200 g chestnut mushrooms

Parsley, chopped, for garnish

60 g Parmesan, grated

First wash the mushrooms and pat dry on kitchen paper. Then bring the water to the boil for the pasta. Add a pinch of salt to the water, add the fusilli and cook over medium heat for 4-10 minutes, depending on the manufacturer's instructions. Meanwhile, heat the sunflower oil in a pan. Add the mushrooms and fry at high heat for 4-5 minutes. Then toss for 30 seconds and remove from heat. Drain the finished noodles in a colander and then put them back in the pot. Add the mushrooms and pesto, stir and sprinkle with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan.

Prepare chestnut soup with pumpkin

Diehearty chestnut soupis one of the most popular dishes - in autumn it is traditionally paired with pumpkin. The creamy, pure enjoyment end result fulfills all culinary wishes. Preparation time: 40 minutes, difficulty level: easy. Here are the ingredients for the quick soup:

2 THE BUTTER

4 cups homemade vegetable broth

3 large waxy potatoes

1 medium onion

1 kg Hokkaido pumpkin, peeled, seeded

200 g chestnuts, peeled, roasted in the oven

If desired, for garnish: 1 teaspoon whipped cream with 36% to 40% fat content

Preparation: Melt the butter in a pot. Meanwhile, wash the onion, pat dry, peel and slice. Sauté the onion slices in the heated butter until translucent, add the vegetable stock and stir. Roughly dice the pumpkin and add the chestnuts. Cook over low heat for 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Puree the vegetables finely in a blender, season with salt and pepper and garnish with the whipped cream.

Chestnuts as a side dish: recipe with apples and sweet potatoes

The next recipe is perfect for a festive buffet with delicacies made from seasonal fruit and vegetables: cozy up at the table with a warming dish of apples, chestnuts and sweet potatoes. Perfect as a side dish for game such as saddle of venison or wild boar. Preparation time 70 minutes. Difficulty level: moderate. Servings: 6. Necessary Ingredients:

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable broth

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 medium red onions, cut into 8 pieces

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces

170 g chestnuts

1 tbsp thyme, finely chopped

1 beetroot, peeled and diced

2 large apples, cored and cut into pieces

Preparation: Mix the apple cider vinegar, vegetable stock, butter and maple syrup in a preheated pan and bring to the boil. Simmer under the lid over medium heat for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, add the coarsely chopped onions, sweet potatoes and chestnuts to a large pan. Fry for 20 minutes, add the beetroot and apples, mix the vegetable mix well. Season with the thyme and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Fry the vegetables and fruits for another 20 minutes until the apples turn golden brown. Remove from the heat, add the sauce and mix well. Serve warm.

Chestnuts as an accompaniment to game and goose: caramelized figs and chestnuts

Treat the family to thisnext recipe for main coursemade from game meat and with a sweet side dish of caramelized figs and chestnuts. Preparation time: 90 minutes. Difficulty level: moderate. Servings: 4. The necessary ingredients:

4 fillets, 150 g each, made from game meat (deer or hare)

100 g pointed cabbage, planed

100 g kale, sliced

50 g unsalted butter

sunflower oil

6 ripe figs

1 EL Braunzucker

150 g chestnuts, roasted, peeled and cut into halves

Salt and pepper

For the sauce:

300 ml chicken broth

20 g unsalted butter

Salt and pepper

Preparation: Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Cut the figs in half and place them on the baking tray. Sprinkle with brown sugar and let caramelize in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile, season the steaks with salt and pepper, fry them in a pan over high heat in the sunflower oil for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden brown and then let them relax in the oven at 70 degrees for another 3-5 minutes. Then let it rest on a warm plate. Bring water to the boil in a large pot, add a pinch of salt and add the pointed cabbage and kale. Let it cook for five minutes, then remove the vegetables and carefully drain them. Rinse with cold water. Add the roasted chestnuts and mix. For the sauce, reduce the chicken broth in the pot by 1/3 and thicken with butter. First garnish the fillets with the chestnuts, pointed cabbage and kale, then spread the sauce over them and then serve with the figs.

Chestnut soup with chives and bacon

Although chestnuts can be served as a side dish with grilled food or game, they also taste wonderful as a solo act on a plate. The chestnut soup is extremely filling and delicious - we offer you a simple recipe with chives and bacon that is guaranteed to make a splash with family and friends. Preparation time: 60 minutes, Difficulty level: easy, Servings: 8. The necessary ingredients:

4 thick slices of bacon

1 tbsp unsalted butter

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 celery stick, diced

2 shallots, coarsely chopped

1 bunch of chives, cut into rolls

Sea salt, coarse

Pepper, freshly ground

5 cups chicken broth

200 g chestnuts, roasted

1/2 cup whipping cream with 36% to 40% fat content

To garnish: finely chopped chives, finely ground nutmeg

Preparation: First fry the bacon in a very hot pan for 8 to 10 minutes. Then place on kitchen paper and let drain. Remove the bacon, leaving just a spoonful of the bacon sauce in the pan. In the same pan, melt the butter, then add the carrot, celery stick, shallots and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté the vegetables over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until soft and golden brown. Add the broth and chestnuts and bring to the boil. Partially cover the pan and simmer all ingredients for another 30 minutes. Then remove from the heat, let cool and puree very finely in a blender. Put the chestnut mixture back in the pan and add the whipped cream. Stir, heat. If the soup becomes too thick, add broth and stir. Pour the soup into warm bowls, jam jars or even tea cups and serve to guests as a hot appetizer or as a side dish with goose. Garnish with the remaining chives, shallots and nutmeg.

The dish is ready, now all that remains is to choose the right wine. A dry Riesling wine proves to be ideal here, which can be served with goose as well as a vegan chestnut soup. A Pinot Blanc also cuts a fine figure at the festive table and tastes wonderful with main dishes with a sweet sauce. As another option we can offer you a chilled Pinot Noir.