A comforting and colourful autumn recipe, authentically Tuscan, perfect for filling up on legumes and autumn colors.
A chard and chickpea potée cooked in the garden on the only rain-free day of the week! My multicolored chard ribs are absolutely gorgeous in late October.
For several weeks, I'd been waiting for the moment to light my fire, put down my pan and get to work... But the weather was never on my side. Finally, I found a small window of good weather and went for it. So here's a soup in the purest tradition of peasant soups, served on a nice slice of bread. This makes it particularly comforting and nourishing in late autumn, dazzling in its simplicity, fragrant and perfectly balanced.
I've never been able to find genuine Tuscan ciabatta in Switzerland, so I used a good sourdough bread. It's a little more tangy to the taste, but it suits the dish perfectly. Traditionally, Tuscan bread is not salted at all, so remember to dose the salt when preparing it. It's best to add more at the end. And if you can, choose red and yellow chard chops in addition to the traditional green and white. This gives the soup a lovely burgundy color, and makes it all the more appetizing.
As you probably already know, I like to cook outdoors, in the garden, over a wood fire. But you can of course prepare this recipe in your own kitchen. It will certainly be more comfortable, and what's more, you'll be able to cook in any weather 😉
But if you can, make sure you enjoy this dish outside. Eating outdoors is an enchantment, not only for your taste buds, but also for your soul.

Ingredients
- 1 kilogram apples - 1 large apple per person
- 400 grams sugar
- 200 milliliters white wine
- 400 milliliters water
- 125 grams pitted black olives - Kalamata, Nyons, Taggiasche
Preparation
- Peel the apples, remove the cores, and cut into small cubes.
- Prepare a syrup with 250 grams of sugar and water. Melt the sugar in the water, add the diced apples and white wine when it comes to a boil. Cook over medium heat until tender.
- Meanwhile, finely chop the olives.
- Prepare the caramel: in a small saucepan, melt the remaining sugar (150 grams) with 1 tablespoon of water. Allow the mixture to caramelize until the caramel turns a nice amber color. Watch constantly and stir continuously to obtain a smooth caramel. Remove from heat as soon as it is ready.
- Add the blended olives to obtain a smooth sauce. If desired, blend again to obtain an even finer texture. Allow to cool.
- If necessary, drain the apples. Pour a dash of caramel onto a plate and add the apples alongside. There you go! It's ready to eat.
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