Roasted Chestnut Pear & Chickpea Soup is a velvety smooth with subtle earthy undertones from the chestnuts, delicate sweetness from the pears, and a nutty essence from the chickpeas, making it a comforting and satisfying meal.
I absolutely love chestnuts and believe they’re a highly underrated ingredient in late fall and winter. Therefore, I chose to use fresh chestnuts and roast them myself, although jarred chestnuts can also be used. This soup serves as an excellent solution for those less-than-perfect pears, as not all pears ripen gracefully and tend to bruise easily. If you have pears that need to be used, this recipe is the perfect solution! The chickpeas complement the nutty-sweet chestnut flavor, adding both body and protein to the soup, making it a complete meal. The addition of aromatic ingredients like herbs, white wine, garlic, soffritto, and a touch of maple truly makes this soup shine.
Ingredients for Roasted Chestnut Pear & Chickpea Soup:
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: This is my preferred choice for cooking fat. Ensure you use a high-quality variety; you don’t want to use any imitation oils.
- Shallot, Carrot, and Celery: While the traditional soffritto trio uses onions, I prefer the mellow flavor of shallots in this case, allowing the other flavors to shine.
- Garlic: This adds depth to the savory flavor, complementing all the other ingredients.
- Chestnuts: While jarred chestnuts work just as well, roasting your own chestnuts is a simple yet aromatic experience that fills your home with an amazing aroma.
- Chickpeas: While other white beans like cannellini can be used, I particularly enjoy the body and flavor that chickpeas bring to the soup.
- Bartlett Pears: Opt for a sturdy and firm variety of pears; I personally favor Bartlett, but in a pinch, any pear variety will do, or even apples can be substituted.
- White Wine (optional): This ingredient aids in deglazing the pan and enhancing the depth of flavor in the soup. It’s an optional but recommended addition.
- Vegetable Broth: This is crucial for enriching the soup’s depth of flavor. If you don’t have vegetable broth on hand, water can be used as a substitute.
- Maple Syrup: Although it might seem unusual, a touch of sweet, amber maple syrup works wonders in intensifying the soup’s flavors, imparting a perfect hint of sweetness to balance the savory notes.
Roasted Chestnut Pear & Chickpea Soup
Ingredients
- 1 large celery stalk, halved and cut into 3rds
- 1 large carrot, halved and cut into 3rds
- 1 shallot, cut into forths
- 1 large garlic clove, peeled
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 cups chestnuts or 1-1/2 cups roasted and peeled
- 1 – 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 bartlett pears, ripe, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 8–10 sprigs of thyme
- 6–7 sage leaves
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 6–7 cup vegetable broth, simmering
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F
- Score the tops of all the chestnuts with an x and place them on a baking tray to roast in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the skins begin to curl back and you can see a toasted yellow inside
- To another roasting tray add the celery, carrot, shallot, garlic, springs of thyme, sage leaves and pears and toss with the olive oil and salt until coated.
- Roast for about 10 minutes pulling them out halfway through, to toss,add the white scraping the bottom of the tray well, and the chickpeas
- Place the tray back into the oven for another 5-10 minutes until the vegetables, chickpeas, and pears turn golden brown.
- Once the roasted chestnuts have slightly cooled, squeeze and crack them to remove the shells
- Finally, add all the ingredients to the blender – the tray of roasted goodness, the chestnuts, maple, and simmering broth and blend until creamy and enjoy!
