When I was at the market on the weekend I came across some chestnuts and since I had not even seen chestnuts in a while so I immediatly picked some up. When I got home I looked through my bookmarks for interesting recipes with chestnuts I came across this one for an Italian lentil and chestnut stew on Mostly Eating that sounds really good. Most of the time when I have used chestnuts in the past it has been in sweet dishes and I liked the sound of using them in a savoury stew for a change. I also liked that this stew used lentils which I have been wanting to use more often. I pretty much stuck to the original recipe though I swapped some thyme in for the rosemary and I tossed in the rind of some parmigiano reggiano for some extra flavour.
The first thing that I needed to do was to get the chestnuts out of their shells and there are two ways to do so; I went with roasting the chestnuts but you could also go with boiling . The lentil and chestnut stew turned out really well! Between roasting the chestnuts and cooking the stew, my apartment was filled with some amazing aromas. The stew was nice and light and healthy and tasty and good! The chestnuts worked really well in the stew adding a nice hint of flavour and a nice contrasting texture. I served the stew with some cheesy garlic toast and garnished it with a bit of grated parmigiano reggiano. What a perfectly seasonal stew for a cool autumn day!
Italian Lentil and Chestnut Stew
ingredients
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion (diced)
- 1 carrot (diced)
- 1 rib celery (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 cup dry lentils
- 2 cups water (or broth)
- 1/2 cup roasted chestnuts (or boiled chestnuts)
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig thyme
- parmigiano reggiano rind (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 handful parsley (chopped)
directions
- Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the dried porcini mushrooms and let soak for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a large sauce pan.
- Add the onion, carrot and celery and saute until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
- Slice the porcini mushrooms retaining the liquid.
- Add the mushrooms, their water, the lentils, water, chestnuts, balsamic vinegar, bay leaf, thyme, parmigiano reggiano rind, salt and pepper into the sauce pan and simmer covered until the lentils are al dente, about 20-30 minutes.
- Remove from head and stir in the parsley.
So hearty and delectable!
'Eatable' soup! Sounds (and looks) lovely!
This is the third delicious lentil dish I've seen today. It's a sign. I need to get me some lentils, STAT!!
That sounds very good!
Good job. Lentil is a much neglected legume and I have some in my cupboard. Time to make some more soup over the next few days.
WOW!
oh i love lentils and this look simple hearty and satisfying!
Oh Lord, Kevin, this stew looks so flavorsome and good!!!
That is one luxurious lentil salad! A delightful flavor combo!
Cheers,
Rosa
Looks terrific as always. I've never had this combination before.
I don't think I've ever even had chestnuts in my life! They sound so good though as does this stew. I think it's time for me to branch out and try these things.
Oh Kevin, that looks so good! It is raining here today and that stew would be a perfect way to get through the day. Thanks…
This is great hearty meal!
Right on! Awesome winter dinner!
oooh! looks like comfort food to me!
Love lentils in stew or soup. Nice and hearty for this dreary day.
Wow, this looks and sounds so tasty!
aaah! Kevin when I come here always Im finish hungry! I love lentils and this look delicious!! gloria
mmm. I am going to have to try this! unusual and so delicious!
I have never cooked with fresh chestnuts – you may have just inspired me.
I have had a craving for lentil something for the last few days. This really sounds delicious. Perfect for the season.
I have been trying to eat more meatless dishes with lentils being high on my list but everything ends up with cumin and curry a other "indianish" spices though I love it I need some variety. This sounds like it could fit the bill!
A grand combination, especially for holiday time. I'm seeing these on our Thanksgiving table? Wonderful!
Mmmm… that looks so delicious!!
Wow I can't wait to try this stw. Lentils can be so delicious… thanks again for annother brilliant recipe!
finally got around to making this tonight. we found that 30 minutes wasn't long enough for the lentils to soften. we added another cup of water and another 10 minutes to simmer.
This looks divine.
so great! thanks for sharing 🙂
Just made it for dinner and the porcini and parmesan rind make for the most meaty vegetarian dish I've had in a while! I would suggest chopping the chestnuts a little as a whole one pretty much takes over a mouthful.
Thanks for posting this. It was great! Very satisfying and savory. My husband and I are trying to eat less meat too, and also trying to find ways of using up the chestnuts we have.
Haven’t read the full ingredients list yet but you had me at the chestnut, lentil carrots etc. So this is a must make, emailed myself the link so I don’t forget.
Wow, you just saved me (or rather my family) from another Sunday night dinner disaster / disappointment! I found this at the last minute and everyone loved it including the picky ones! The only thing I changed was haricot beans instead of lentils and it was still amazing.
Really enjoyed eating this tonight. I also added about 250g of beech mushrooms and a tbsp soy sauce. Love the chestnuts!
Excellent – added some sausage and anduoille crumbles on top.
Looks delicious but can I ask what kind of lentils . I’m thinking brown cuz they hold their shape but would like to know for sure
Thx kindly
I usually use brown or green/puy lentils for this recipe!
This soup was delicioso!!!! I added Italian sausage, I couldn’t resist. I did not have Porcini mushrooms but I did have the powder so I added that. I also added a bit of red pepper and marjoram. Thanks for the yummy recipe.