Depending on the availability of seasonal ingredients there are several variations:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caldo_galego
- Caldo branco includes chickpeas and beans.
- Caldo chirlo or vigueiro
- Caldo de castañas uses chestnuts
If you’ve been following this blog closely, right about now you are saying “Wait a minute, what about caldo chirlo?” Well, the internet has failed me. Most of the references I can find to caldo chirlo are direct quotes of the same wikipedia page I’m quoting above. Those that aren’t, are a list of different types of caldo, without any sort of recipe or list of ingredients. The only information I managed to glean is that chirlo means “watery”, so caldo chirlo would be watery broth. In other words, the soup you make when there’s nothing to put in the soup. Given that the list also included caldo de raton, aka mouse soup, I’m fairly confident that caldo chirlo is indeed famine food, and I’m probably not going to find a recipe for it, so I moved on to the next entry on the list.
Caldo de Castañas is a chestnut soup from Spain.
Wait, don’t leave. I know it sounds weird- nut soup? But it’s actually very tasty. Other counties in the region have their own versions. For example, the French use mushrooms and cream. However you make it, it’s a great autumn dish. Chestnuts, of course, ripen in the fall, and soup is a perfect dish for cooler weather. This Spanish version combines smoky chorizo, caramelized onion, tomato, cumin and saffron with the creamy texture of the nuts.
Chestnuts have a different texture than other nuts- it reminds me of buttercup squash, which is dryer than most other types of squash. I guess that makes chestnuts moister than other nuts? Once they’ve been boiled they fall apart easily, so you can mash them up to make a thick soup much like you would mash some of the potatoes in a potato soup. If you want a smooth, pureed soup you will probably need a blender, but I was happy with the consistency I got just using a potato masher.
Fresh chestnuts are somewhat of a pain to use, because you have to either roast or steam them in order to remove the shell. I believe I did that when I used chestnuts with my Patjuk a couple years ago. I actually postponed making this recipe by a week and a half or so, because I had in my head that I had actually seen chestnuts in a grocery store here in town a few weeks earlier, but after finally making it all of the 4 stores I most frequently shop at and not finding them, I decided I must have dreamed it. In the end I wound up buying roasted, shelled chestnuts from Amazon*, which saved me time and tears on the shelling process. There are, of course, a number of different brands to chose from; I chose this product simply because it came in exactly the quantity that my recipe creation process came up with.
Besides the chestnuts, the rest of the ingredients are fairly readily available. I guess Spanish chorizo, which I used to find locally has become another Amazon purchase for me, but I had some left in the fridge from a previous recipe.
Saffron is, of course, the most expensive spice on the planet, but a little goes a long way. 1/2 gram only costs about $12 and will stretch to several recipes.
Caldo de Castañas
Serves: 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: ~1 hour
Total: ~1:15
(As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.)
2 ⅓ Tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
120 g mild Spanish chorizo, sliced
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
2 small dried red chilies
1 large bay leaf
3 large sage leaves
20 threads saffron
3-4 Tablespoons warm water.
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ⅔ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 ½ Tablespoons white wine
2 tomatoes, diced
450 g cooked, peeled chestnuts
1 liter water
Optional:
1 small fennel bulb, diced
2 whole cloves
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 cup greek yogurt
2-3 dried mushrooms
1 green onion
1 Tablespoon butter
1 splash of milk
Parsley, to garnish
Heat olive oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, carrot and chorizo. Sauté until onion is translucent, then season with a little salt and pepper, reduce heat, and continue to sauté until well caramelized, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile tie the chilies, bay leaf and sage leaves in a piece of cheese cloth. Set aside.
Put the saffron threads into a small dish and add the warm water. Set aside.
Once the vegetables are well caramelized, add the garlic, thyme, and cumin. Sauté for about 1 minute, then deglaze with white wine.
Add the bundle of chilies and herbs, along with the diced tomato. Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add the chestnuts, saffron water and 1 liter of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until chestnuts are very soft, 20-40 minutes.
Remove the herb bundle and use a potato masher or immersion blender to puree the soup until your desired consistency is reached.
Serve with a drizzle of good olive oil and a chunk of crusty bread for dipping.
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases.
I receive no compensation for mentioning any other websites or product.
Lorin cooks Legumes 