Zuppa di Porcini E Castagne (Porcini Chestnut Soup)

In the misty autumn mornings of Tuscany, when the air holds its first real chill, mushroom hunting becomes an art of patience and presence. Porcini emerge from the forest floor, their presence revealed by subtle signs—a slight rise in the earth, the particular way leaves settle around their caps, the knowing look of an old chestnut tree standing guard.

Between the drowsy villages where old men watch time unfold from weathered chairs, nature offers her secrets. The locals taught me to read the land's small gestures: the north-facing slopes after autumn rains, the spaces beneath ancient trees where porcini and chestnuts share their quiet fellowship.

This soup, shared one evening over Vermentino while blues music drifted through Pino's restaurant, carries the essence of these autumn treasures.

Nutritional Benefits

Porcini Mushrooms:

• Nature's quiet healers, offering immune-strengthening beta-glucans that flow through our system like gentle guardians

• Rich in protein (3.9g per 100g), they carry the forest's wisdom of sustainable strength

• A meditation in vitamin D (3.1μg per 100g), rare among plant sources

• Whispers of B vitamins (B2, B3, B5) that nurture our nervous system's delicate orchestra

• Mineral-rich with selenium and copper, earth's elements rising to meet human need

Chestnuts:

• Unlike their tree nut cousins, they offer a lower fat content (2.2g per 100g)

• Complex carbohydrates (44g per 100g) that release their energy slowly, like wisdom earned through time

• Vitamin C embraces us (40.2mg per 100g), a surprising gift from the autumn forest

• Folate (58μg per 100g) nurtures new life within, cell by precious cell

• A rare source of meaningful vitamin K (7.8μg per 100g), keeper of bone strength

Soffritto's Trinity (Onion, Celery, Carrot):

• Onions: Nature's quiet defenders, rich in quercetin that calms inflammation's storm

• Carrots: Beta-carotene (8285μg per 100g) paints our cells in protective hues of sunset

• Celery: Mineral-rich yet humble, offering potassium (260mg per 100g) for heart's rhythm

Garlic:

• Allicin compounds that guard our wellness like ancient guardians

• Sulfur compounds that speak of earth's deep medicine

• Manganese (1.7mg per 100g) supporting bone's essential architecture

Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

• Omega-3s moving through our bodies like Mediterranean waves (14g per 100g)

• Polyphenols standing guard against oxidative stress

• Vitamin E (14.35mg per 100g) nurturing cell membranes like tender leaves

Herbs (Thyme and Rosemary):

• Thyme: Rich in thymol and carvacrol, nature's gentle protectors

• Rosemary: Antioxidants that preserve memory like stones holding ancient stories

Together, these ingredients create not just sustenance, but a symphony of healing—each note playing its part in our body's quiet restoration. Like gardeners tending their harvest, these nutrients work in harmonious connection, offering their gifts with profound effect.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup fresh or dried porcini mushrooms, cleaned gently with a brush

• 1 1/2 cups chestnuts, roasted and peeled

• 1 tablespoon of butter

• 1 clove of roasted garlic (place in aluminum foil, coat in oil and roast in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes)

• Extra virgin olive oil

• A sprig of fresh thyme and rosemary, optional

• Soffritto: onion, celery, and carrot, finely diced

• 3 cups vegetable or chicken stock, cooked with Parmigiano rind if homemade

• Sea salt and black pepper

• grated Parmigiano for garnish

Method:

1. Soak dried porcini in one cup of boiled water for 10 minutes. Strain and keep the liquid. Dice the porcini.

2. Create your soffritto: slowly cook onion, celery, and carrot (thyme and rosemary, if desired) in olive oil until they release their sweetness.

3. Add sliced porcini and butter to the softened soffritto, letting them release their woodland perfume.

4. Incorporate the roasted, peeled chestnuts and sauté until light brown.

5. Add fresh thyme and rosemary.

6. Pour in the broth and let everything simmer until the flavors meld.

7. Transfer the ingredients to a blender, add roasted garlic and make a smooth paste adding more stock as needed.

8. Finish with your best extra virgin olive oil, grated Parmigiano, fresh pepper, and if desired, a touch of cream.

9. Serve with toasted sourdough bread (a dash of truffle oil couldn’t hurt).