Venison & Chestnut Soup

Ingredients

• 1 ½ lbs venison stew meat, cut into small cubes
• 2 tbsp olive oil or butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 small leek (white and light green parts), thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup red wine (preferably full-bodied like Syrah or Merlot)
• 6 cups beef or game stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)
• ½ tsp ground allspice or clove (optional, for depth)
• Salt
• freshly cracked black pepper
• 1 ½ cups roasted, peeled chestnuts (vacuum-packed or freshly roasted)
• Optional: reserve a few whole for garnish, chop the rest
• ¼ cup heavy cream (optional, for richness)
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• Crusty bread or rye toast, for serving