Porcini and Chestnut Soup

If you are anything like me you buy chestnuts every year, and then come January realise you still have half a bag (or all of them sometimes) and have no idea what to do with them.  This recipe is perfect for using them up, I always have some dried porcini mushrooms lurking in my cupboard, so this is a pretty easy recipe to knock up with things I already have in the house.
It is slightly earthly and slightly sweet, which is why the goats cheese works so well as it cuts through the soup beautifully.  If you are not a fan of goats cheese please give it a try, as I honestly wouldn’t choose to eat a piece of goats cheese myself, but it does work brilliantly as a topping.
This soup is no fuss, just bob it in the slow cooker and forget about it.  It makes at least four good bowlfull’s and because it’s liquidised it works really well for lunch in a flask, or as a cup-of-soup
Ingredients

• 9g dried Porcini mushrooms
• 2 onions – chopped
• 1 stick celery – thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic – chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 300g potatoes – peeled and cubed
• 200g cooked whole chestnuts – chopped
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 3tbs crème fraiche

 
Topping – per portion, when serving

• 15g hard goats cheese crumbled
• 1 tsp pumpkin seeds

Instructions:

1. Soak porcini in 100ml of just boiled water for about 20 mins. Remove revitalised mushrooms from liquid (reserve liquid) and finely chop.
2. Add all ingredients to slow cooker, plus 850ml water and the reserved liquid (leaving any bits in the bowl). Cover and cook for 5-6 hours on low.
3. Remove bay leaves, allow to cool slightly add the crème fraiche and blend to a thick and creamy soup.
4. To serve add a crumbled goats cheese and a teaspoon of pumpkin seeds.