Italian Chestnut and Chickpea Soup
This is a traditional recipe from the Abruzzo region, Italy. However, all the Apennine cuisines have more or less similar recipes combining two simple ingredients, chickpeas and chestnuts.
The soup should be thick, more like a sauce. It is an amazing autumn dish, fragrant and nutritious.
By the way, this soup is traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve in Abruzzo. It is considered a symbol of prosperity.
Ingredients for Chestnut and Chickpea Soup
- 20-25 large Marroni chestnuts, or more small chestnut.
- Glass of chickpea: about 200 gr.
- 2-3 cloves of garlic.
- 1 sprig of rosemary.
- Peeled tomatoes: about 250 gr.
- Olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe for Chestnut and Chickpea Soup
- Soak the chickpeas overnight. Then cook until tender. Put the hot chickpeas quickly into cold water and, stirring manually, remove the shell from each pea. They can be easily removed at the slightest touch.
- Prepare the sauce from tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, salt and olive oil.
- Fry or boil the chestnuts. Then peel and chop them into two or three parts.
- Mix the sauce, chestnuts, and chickpeas in a pan, adding enough water to cover them. You can, instead of water, use a meat or vegetable broth.
- Cook over very low heat for about 30-40 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot, adding a little fresh olive oil in each bowl.
Chestnut and Chickpea Soup
