Chestnut & chickpea soup

Name: Chestnut & chickpea soup
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 400 g cans chickpeas; 6 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for serving; 20 g pack rosemary, leaves finely chopped; 20 g pack sage, leaves shredded into thin ribbons; 500 g pack frozen Cooks’ Ingredients Soffritto (or 1 onion, 1 small carrot and 1 celery stick, finely diced); 4 clove/s garlic, finely chopped; 180 g packs cooked chestnuts, half finely chopped, the rest halved; 450 ml fresh chicken or vegetable stock; Sherry vinegar, to serve; Extra virgin olive oil, to serve

This recipe from Charmaine Katz comes from central Italy, and she has added crispy chickpeas for crunch in place of croutons here. Follow Charmaine on Instagram and why not try some different soup recipes.

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HealthyHigh fibre5 plant varieties

Serves4
CourseStarter
Prepare10 mins
Cook30 mins
Total time40 mins

Please note, we take every care to ensure the product, allergen and recipe information displayed is correct. However, should a product be unavailable, alternatives may be displayed and/or a substitution provided. If you have an allergy or intolerance, please always check the product label before use.

2 x 400g cans chickpeas
6 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for serving
½ x 20g pack rosemary, leaves finely chopped
½ x 20g pack sage, leaves shredded into thin ribbons
½ x 500g pack frozen Cooks’ Ingredients Soffritto (or 1 onion, 1 small carrot and 1 celery stick, finely diced)
4 clove/s garlic, finely chopped
2 x 180g packs cooked chestnuts, half finely chopped, the rest halved
450ml fresh chicken or vegetable stock
Sherry vinegar, to serve
Extra virgin olive oil, to serve

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/200ºC fan/ gas 7. Drain the chickpeas, reserving the aquafaba for the soup, then remove a quarter of them and pat dry (otherwise they won’t crisp up. Add to a bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil and half each of the rosemary and sage. Season and mix well, then spread into a single layer on a baking tray and roast for 25-30 minutes, until crispy.
Meanwhile, make the soup. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to a large saucepan over a medium heat, then add the soffritto mix and season. Cook for 10 minutes, until softened. Add ½ tbsp olive oil, the garlic, the remaining sage and rosemary and a pinch of salt and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.
Add the chopped chestnuts, mix well and fry for 1 minute, then add the remaining chickpeas, their liquid, the stock, 400ml water, the remaining olive oil and another pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and gently simmer for 15 minutes, until thickened and tasting delicious.
Using a stick blender, blend the soup until mostly smooth, then taste and season. Add up to 400ml water if you prefer a thinner soup. Stir through the halved chestnuts, then heat gently until warmed through. Remove the chickpeas from the oven and set aside. Serve the soup in bowls, and finish with a glug of sherry vinegar, a drizzle of olive oil and the crispy chickpeas.

Cook’s tip

This also works with sourdough croutons for extra crunch. Chop two slices of sourdough into cubes, drizzle with olive oil, season with chopped sage, rosemary and salt and bake at the same time as the chickpeas, until golden and crisp.

Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe