The Lentil and Chestnut Soup is a recipe that truly opens the doors to autumn. Very easy to prepare, and also very quick if you use pre-cooked lentils and cook the chestnuts in a pressure cooker. A soup with a truly unique taste, which can be enriched with a pinch of chili pepper or a grind of fresh pepper. Accompany it with simply toasted bread, or with bruschetta, which is made crispy by a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, applied during cooking on both sides. According to my tastes, moreover, a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano does not hurt at all.
If you like both lentils and chestnuts, then don’t miss the following recipes:
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 4 people
- Cooking methods: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 3 cans of pre-cooked lentils
- 7.05 oz boiled chestnuts
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks celery
- 6 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 4 leaves bay leaf
- to taste salt
- 4.2 cups water
- 4 boiled chestnuts for garnish
- 4 slices rustic bread
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 1 Knife
- 1 Cutting Board
How to Prepare Lentil and Chestnut Soup
Chop the garlic, celery, and carrot into small pieces and sauté them in a high-sided saucepan with 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Add the pre-cooked lentils, drained of water, the chestnuts roughly crumbled by hand, the bay leaves, and the salt.
At this point, pour in at least one liter of water, and as soon as the soup starts to boil, cover with a lid and lower the heat to a simmer.
Stir occasionally, and after 45 minutes, remove the bay leaves and use an immersion blender to quickly blend the lentils and chestnuts for a creamy consistency.
At this cooking stage, check if more water is needed to complete the cooking.
Continue for another 15-20 minutes, and in the meantime, toast the slices of rustic bread, dividing them in half to better distribute them on the plates
Serve your Lentil and Chestnut Soup, plating it and garnishing it with the toasted bread and a nice boiled chestnut placed prominently.
If you wish, finish with a sprinkle of grated Pecorino Romano and another drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
Advice, Variations, and Storage
The soup keeps perfectly in the refrigerator for at least two days, but in a glass or ceramic container with an airtight seal.
You can also freeze it, but unless you heat it directly from frozen, I recommend letting it thaw slowly in the refrigerator.
If you want to use dried lentils, you can prepare them the day before, and the same goes for the chestnuts if you don’t have a pressure cooker.
