Creamy Hazelnut Soup Recipe

I perfected a Hazelnut Soup from pantry staples with a surprising twist that has my family asking for the recipe.

I never thought a bowl could surprise me like this, but this one did. I blended toasted hazelnuts with a touch of heavy cream and ended up with a Nutty Soup that felt oddly luxurious and kind of mysterious.

The first spoonful makes you ask questions about how something so simple tastes so layered, and it kept my family guessing. It belongs on a list called Creamy Fall Soup Recipes but, honestly, it feels homemade not showy, and it somehow nails both comfort and intrigue.

Give it a try when you want something different, you might get hooked.

Ingredients

• Toasted hazelnuts: rich, creamy nut taste, adds protein, fiber and a buttery mouthfeel.
• Onion: builds savory sweetness when cooked, gives depth and natural umami to the soup.
• Potato: thickens the soup naturally with starches, adds comfort and gentle body.
• Carrot: brings subtle sweetness and beta carotene, balances the nuttiness and enriches color.
• Stock: savory liquid backbone, supplies minerals and depth, choose veg or chicken for flavor.
• Heavy cream or coconut milk: makes soup luxuriously creamy, adds fat and mouthcoating richness.
• Sherry vinegar or lemon juice: bright acidic lift, cuts richness and wakes up flavors.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1 1/2 cups toasted hazelnuts (about 150 g)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter or olive oil
• 1 medium onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 medium potato (about 225 g)
• 1 medium carrot
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 3/4 cup heavy cream or full fat coconut milk
• 1 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar or lemon juice
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)
• Extra toasted hazelnuts, chopped, for garnish (optional)

How to Make this

1. Prep the hazelnuts: chop about 2 tbsp and set aside for garnish, pulse the rest in a food processor until coarse. If you want a silkier soup, rub hazelnuts in a clean towel to remove some skins, its optional.

2. Heat 2 tbsp butter or olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, add 1 chopped medium onion and cook until translucent about 5 minutes, then add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds more.

3. Add 1 diced medium potato and 1 diced medium carrot, cook stirring for 3 to 4 minutes so they start to soften.

4. Stir in the pulsed hazelnuts, 1 tsp dried thyme or 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, and 1 bay leaf, then pour in 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock.

5. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the potato and carrot are tender about 15 to 20 minutes.

6. Remove the bay leaf, then blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender or in batches in a regular blender (be careful with hot liquids, vent the lid slightly and dont overfill).

7. Return soup to the pot, stir in 3/4 cup heavy cream or full fat coconut milk and 1 tbsp sherry vinegar or lemon juice, warm gently but dont boil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

8. Serve hot topped with the reserved chopped toasted hazelnuts and 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley if using, you can also drizzle a little extra cream for looks.

Equipment Needed

1. Large heavy-bottomed pot (4 to 6 qt)
2. Food processor or regular blender, for pulsing the hazelnuts
3. Immersion blender (or use blender in batches, just dont overfill)
4. Chefs knife
5. Cutting board
6. Vegetable peeler
7. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula
8. Measuring cups and spoons
9. Baking sheet, clean kitchen towel and small bowl (for toasting, rubbing skins and reserving garnish)

FAQ

Creamy Hazelnut Soup Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Toasted hazelnuts: if you dont have hazelnuts swap for toasted almonds or toasted walnuts (use the same 1 1/2 cups), or for a silkier finish stir in about 3/4 cup almond or cashew butter while blending. Flavor will change but texture stays similar.
• Heavy cream or full fat coconut milk: use 3/4 cup cashew cream (soak 1/2 cup cashews for a few hours then blend with 3/4 cup water), or 3/4 cup full fat plain Greek yogurt thinned with a little stock and added off heat to avoid curdling, or 3/4 cup evaporated milk.
• Medium potato: substitute 1 medium sweet potato, or about 2 cups cauliflower florets, or 1 large parsnip for a slightly sweeter note. All give body and creaminess when pureed.
• Vegetable or chicken stock: use 4 cups mushroom stock for extra umami, or 4 cups water plus 1 good vegetable bouillon cube, or try 3 cups water with 1 cup dry white wine for added depth. Taste and adjust salt.

Pro Tips

– For super silky texture, rub more skins off the hazelnuts after toasting, then blend in a high speed blender and press the soup through a fine mesh sieve. It takes an extra 5 minutes but you get restaurant smoothness, just be careful with hot liquid, vent the lid and hold it down with a kitchen towel.

– Boost the nutty depth by finishing with a little browned butter or just a teaspoon of toasted hazelnut oil right before serving. It smells amazing, but dont add too much or it will overpower the soup.

– Keep some hazelnut crunch for contrast: chop and quickly toast the reserved bits in a dry pan or a bit of butter so they stay crisp on top. Fresh parsley or a tiny bit of lemon zest brightens the whole bowl, add them at the end so they dont go limp.

– This soup thickens when chilled, so if you reheat leftovers thin with a splash of stock or water and warm gently so the cream doesnt break. Taste and adjust salt and acid after reheating because nuts tend to mute seasoning.