Italian cuisine · Soups & Stews

Chickpea and Chestnut Soup

Ligurian stew of chickpeas and sweet chestnuts, simmered with rosemary and olive oil into a thick broth.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 200 g chickpeas (dried)
• 300 g chestnuts (pre-cooked, peeled)
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1.2 l vegetable stock
• 6 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Soak the chickpeas overnight in plenty of cold water, then drain and rinse briefly the next day.
2. Finely dice the onion, slice the garlic, and finely chop the needles of one rosemary sprig.
3. Warm 4 tbsp olive oil in a heavy pot and sweat the onion, garlic and chopped rosemary over low heat for 6 min. until the onion turns translucent.
4. Stir in the tomato paste for 1 min., add the chickpeas, bay leaf and the second whole rosemary sprig, then pour in the hot stock.
5. Cover and simmer gently for 60 min., then fold in the halved chestnuts and cook a further 15 min. until the chickpeas are tender and the chestnuts break down at the edges; season with salt and pepper only now.
6. Remove the rosemary sprig and bay leaf, purée three ladles of the stew and stir back in, then serve hot drizzled with the remaining olive oil.