Chestnut and Cèpe Soup with Walnuts

Many of the chestnut soups I’ve tasted have been filling and nutritious but also somewhat bland—even in the Auvergne, where they are an autumn evening staple. Not so this version, which I’ve loosely adapted from a recipe given to me by the late, great Gascon chef Jean-Louis Palladin.

Jean-Louis used a rich poultry stock as a base, to which he added a consommé made with a great assortment of vegetables. He also garnished the soup with quenelles of venison, crispy cub