Borlotti bean soup with chestnuts and rosemary

Ingredients for 4 people

• 350 g dried borlotti beans
• 1 bay leaf, if desired
• 60 g dried chestnuts
• 1 small onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 stalk of celery
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 small sprig of rosemary
• 2 sage leaves
• About 800 ml vegetable broth, adjust as needed depending on the consistency
• 4 slices of homemade bread
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Start by soaking them the night before:

Soaking: Place the borlotti beans and chestnuts separately in plenty of cold water for 8–12 hours, then drain and rinse them. Remove any remaining skins from the chestnuts.

The next morning:

Cooking Chestnuts: Boil them in clean water over low heat for 45–60 minutes, or until tender: the time may vary depending on their size and how dry they are. Drain and break them into pieces.

Cooking Beans: Transfer them to a pot, cover them with fresh water until it’s about 4–5 cm above the surface, and add a bay leaf, if desired. Bring to a boil, let it boil for 10 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 60–90 minutes total, until they are tender even in the center. Add hot water if necessary and season with salt toward the end of cooking. Drain the borlotti beans, reserving the cooking liquid.

For the soup:

Prepare the base. Finely chop the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté them in a saucepan with three tablespoons of oil and the whole garlic clove over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add a little broth if necessary, taking care not to let the vegetables brown.

Finish the soup. Add the borlotti beans, the sage, and the rosemary (remove after about 10 minutes) and let the flavors meld for 20–25 minutes, using some of the beans’ cooking liquid and the rest of the vegetable broth. Add the chopped chestnuts chopped into pieces during the last 10–15 minutes, adding more broth if needed to achieve the desired consistency.

Scoop out two ladles of soup, blend them and return them to the pot to create a creamy base, leaving most of the legumes and chestnuts whole. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve. Toast the bread and cut it into irregular pieces. Ladle the soup into bowls, finish with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, and serve with the bread, added only at the very last moment.
Let it rest for about 5 minutes, bring the soup to the table while it’s still hot, and serve the Valpolicella at around 15–16 °C.

In the glass, chosen by Stefania Vinciguerra

Valpolicella Classico 2025 Speri

A brilliant ruby red with violet hues. Aromas of wild strawberries and cherries with herbal notes, particularly mint. Medium-bodied, with a salty palate and notes of fresh licorice; the strawberry flavor lingers. A satisfying and rich wine, though one for everyday drinking. A young, unpretentious wine.

Production area: properties located in the heart of the Valpolicella Classica region, specifically in the municipalities of San Pietro in Cariano, Fumane, and Negrar, at altitudes ranging from 120 to 350 meters above sea level.

Grape Varieties: 60% Corvina Veronese, 30% Rondinella, 10% Molinara, grown using the open, sloped Veronese pergola trellising system. The winery has always adhered to the principles of sustainable agriculture, and since the 2015 vintage, its entire production has been certified organic.

Grape Harvest: Grapes are harvested by hand during the last ten days of September.

Production Processes: After harvest, immediate crushing with a destemmer-crusher. Maceration for approximately 8 days at a controlled temperature of 20°C in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks with scheduled daily pump-overs. The wine is then transferred to vitrified concrete tanks to complete alcoholic and malolactic fermentation.

Alcohol content: 12.5% vol.

Serving temperature: 15–16°C.

Recommended pairings: Ideal as an accompaniment to appetizers, soups, pasta, and traditional Mediterranean dishes.