Zuppa Ceci e Castagne (Vegetarian Chickpea and Chestnut Soup)

This comforting and hearty vegetarian Italian soup is a delicious cold-weather treat on a winter day. This soup recipe calls for dried chickpeas, but canned chickpeas can be used in a pinch. All the ingredients, with the exception of fresh chestnuts, should already be in your pantry. Make the soup a day or two before serving to let the flavours mingle.

When are chestnuts in season?

Chestnuts are in season in October through December, but you can buy vacuum-sealed chestnuts anytime of the year. Chestnuts are also used in sweet desserts, like our Chocolate Chestnut Cake.

How to cook chestnuts

• Bring saucepan of water to a boil, drop chestnuts in and boil until cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes.
• To test a cooked chestnut, scoop one out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon and let it cool for a minute or two.
• Chestnuts are difficult to peel once they cool, so work quickly. Chop it in half and peel off both layers of skin with a sharp knife. If it crumbles a bit, itﾒs ready.

Zuppa Ceci e Castagne (Chestnut & Chickpea Soup)

A thick, rustic wintertime soup popular from Abruzzo.

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Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Abruzzesi, Italian

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup dried chickpeas
• 200 g fresh chestnuts
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil plus extra to serve
• 1 clove garlic finely chopped
• 1 cooking onion finely chopped
• 1 cup tomato passata
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig rosemary
• pinch crushed hot pepper flakes
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• crusty bread to serve

Instructions

 

• Soak chickpeas in plenty of cold water overnight. The following day, drain and rinse them well. Place in large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Simmer until they are tender, about an hour. Drain and set aside.
• Meanwhile, prepare chestnuts. Bring saucepan of water to a boil, drop chestnuts in and boil until cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes. (Test them after 25 minutes; see note.) When you are satisfied that they are cooked through, drain and peel the lot.
• Add olive oil to saucepan large enough to fit all your ingredients, and heat over low heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, then add onion and cook for 10 minutes or until soft and translucent. Add passata, bay leaf, rosemary, hot pepper flakes, chickpeas and peeled chestnuts. Add 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Spoon into bowls and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with crusty bread on the side. If you reheat soup the next day, you may need to add a bit more water as it will thicken quite a bit once cooled.

Notes

To test a cooked chestnut, scoop one out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon and let it cool for a minute or two. Chestnuts are difficult to peel once they cool, so work quickly. Chop it in half and peel off both layers of skin with a sharp knife. If it crumbles a bit, it’s ready.

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