Autumn has been slow to arrive this year. As I write, it's early October and I’m still running around in sandals and T-shirts.In addition to the worrying message this sends about the climate, it has also meant a curious continuation of summer food. Even as shops start filling up with pumpkins, there are still rubied heaps of heirloom tomatoes just adjacent.
I was struggling to work out what to cook during this strange seasonal interlude when I recalled a recipe from Moro: The Cookbook that I’d first made years ago. Moro, on Exmouth Market, is one of those true London-classic restaurants, though I still think it’s perpetually underrated – it’s where I’ve had some of my favourite meals. (The cookbook is also worth seeking out; I’m often sceptical of restaurant cookbooks, but this one is truly designed for home cooks.)
The recipe in question is for Sopa de Castañas, or chestnut soup. Lest you think that sounds entirely autumnal, the recipe also calls for a handful of fresh tomatoes. As well, there’s chorizo (though I used merguez sausages) and saffron, and I added chickpeas to balance the chestnuts’ sweetness. It’s a knockout of a soup, chunky and hearty – but not heavy enough to be a stew – and simultaneously kicky and bright.
I was also drawn to this soup because it checked off so many of the recommended pairings for Sangiovese. After receiving a bottle of Tenuta Baroni Campanino’s Sassi Rosa Sangiovese 2021, I consulted Victoria Moore’s wine pairing bible, The Wine Dine Dictionary, which includes pages upon pages of pairing recommendations for Sangiovese, including chickpea soup, cooked-down tomatoes and sausage.
Clearly, I was on to a winner. The soup matched the zip of the Sangiovese’s red cherry and violet profile, and the tomatoes spoke to its signature tomato-stem aroma. Fruit aside, this wine also has an earthy, rustic undercurrent, which the soup matches well. Together, it’s a fine pairing at just the right moment: this short, peculiar window when conkers are falling to earth but tomatoes are still lingering on the shelves.
Merguez, Chestnut & Tomato and Saffron Soup
Adapted from Moro: The Cookbook
Serves 6-8
For the soup:
Large pinch saffron
120ml extra-virgin olive oil
300g merguez or fresh chorizo sausages
2 large onions, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 spears celery, diced
Fine sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons crushed chillis
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
4 medium heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped
900g whole cooked, peeled chestnuts (I used Merchant Gourmet), roughly chopped
1 570g jar queen chickpeas (I used Bold Bean Co), drained and rinsed
1-2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
To serve:
Crusty sourdough bread
Extra-virgin olive oil
Fresh thyme leaves
1. Add the saffron to a ramekin. Cover with 3-4 tablespoons of boiling water and set aside.
2. Place a Dutch oven or other large pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once hot, add the merguez, onions, carrots and celery, and season well with fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine and then turn the heat down to medium-low. Cook for roughly 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sausage is crisped and caramelised and the vegetables are softened and browning.
3. Next, add the garlic, thyme, cumin, crushed chillis and smoked paprika, and stir through. Cook for 2-3 minutes more, or until very fragrant, before adding the tomatoes. Cook for an additional 2 minutes, stirring well, until they’re well coated and beginning to soften.
4. Finally, add the chestnuts and the chickpeas, plus 2 litres of boiling water. Turn the heat up until boiling; then, turn down to a simmer. Leave to cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
5. Using a handheld potato masher, roughly crush any whole chestnuts, chickpeas and tomato pieces that you see; you’ll want quite a chunky soup. Add the sherry vinegar, and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the soup has thickened and slightly reduced.
6. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning if needed. Remove from the heat, and add the saffron with its soaking liquid; stir through.
7. To serve, divide the soup between bowls. Top each with an additional drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle of thyme leaves and serve with crusty bread on the side for dunking.
Claire M Bullen is a professional food and travel writer and all-around lover of tasty things. You can follow her at @clairembullen. For more recipes like this, sign up to our Natural Wine Killers wine subscription - you'll receive Claire's recipe and food pairings plus expert tasting notes for three amazing wines like this one every month (or two, if you choose our bi-monthly option).
