Zuppa di Castagne e Latte

Name: Zuppa di Castagne e Latte
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Alpine Italian
Ingredients: 600 g fresh sweet chestnuts; 800 ml Whole milk; 300 ml Water; 30 g Unsalted butter; 1 piece Bay leaf; 1 tsp Fine sea salt; 0.25 tsp Ground nutmeg; 0.25 tsp Black pepper; 160 g day-old rustic mountain bread

A comforting Alpine soup of chestnuts simmered in whole milk with butter and bay, known locally in dialect as minestra de castagne e lat.

🇮🇹Italy· Trentino-Alto Adige

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 65 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 410 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 9 gathered

Servings

600 g fresh sweet chestnuts — in shell, or 400 g vacuum-packed peeled chestnuts
800 ml Whole milk — fresh full-fat milk
300 ml Water — clean tap water
30 g Unsalted butter — cold Alpine butter
1 piece Bay leaf — dried
1 tsp Fine sea salt — divided
¼ tsp Ground nutmeg — freshly grated
¼ tsp Black pepper — freshly cracked
160 g day-old rustic mountain bread — sliced thick or cubed

Equipment

•heavy-based saucepan
•wooden spoon
•paring knife
•slotted spoon
•potato masher

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 410 kcal
fat: 12 g
carbs: 68 g
fibre: 7 g
protein: 11 g
calories: 410 kcal

Instructions

1
Score the rounded side of each fresh chestnut with a shallow horizontal slit using a sharp paring knife.
2
Boil the scored chestnuts in salted boiling water for ten minutes, then drain and peel outer skins and papery inner skins while warm.
3
Place the peeled chestnuts, milk, water, bay leaf and half the salt into a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat.
4
Bring the liquid gently to a simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook uncovered for thirty minutes until chestnuts turn tender.
5
Crush about half of the cooked chestnuts against the side of the pot using a wooden spoon or masher to thicken the soup.
6
Stir in the butter, freshly grated nutmeg, black pepper and remaining salt, letting the butter melt smoothly into the milky broth.
7
Toast the slices of day-old rustic bread in a dry pan or oven until golden and crisp.
8
Discard the bay leaf and ladle the thick, warm chestnut soup over the toasted bread in warm bowls.

Chef's tips

Keep peeled chestnuts covered with a damp cloth while shelling, as cold chestnuts become hard and brittle. For a richer texture, allow the milk to reduce slowly without boiling vigorously.

Ingredient substitutions

fresh sweet chestnuts → 400 g vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts, skipping the initial boiling and peeling step
day-old rustic mountain bread → gluten-free rustic bread for a completely gluten-free meal

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days, keeping the toasted bread separate.

Reheating

Reheat gently in a small saucepan over low heat with an extra splash of whole milk to loosen the thick soup.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Boiling the milk at high heat, which causes it to scorch at the bottom of the pan and curdle.
•Allowing the chestnuts to cool completely before peeling, making inner skin removal tedious.

Serving suggestions

Serve immediately in wide earthenware bowls with an extra grind of black pepper.Pair with a glass of crisp Trentino Nosiola white wine or a light mountain red.