Wash and cook the chestnuts in boiling water for about 20 minutes. Cut in half with a teaspoon to remove their shell and obtain the nut. It doesn’t matter if you keep the halves whole or smash them a little, you’ll be blending the soup anyway. Peel and chop the onion and the garlic.

Heat olive oil in a suitable pot. Add the onion and the garlic and cook for about 5 minutes while stirring continuously. You shouldn’t overcook the onion, so lower the heat if necessary.

Add the chestnuts but don’t forget to leave a few pieces for decoration. Season with salt and black pepper, pour in the broth, add the thyme and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.

If you want to add a few mushrooms, heat 1 tbs olive oil and fry the finely sliced mushrooms for 3-4 minutes.

Blend the soup with a food processor or a blender. Serve in a bowl or a plate with a few pieces of chestnut, mushroom slices and a sprig of fresh thyme.