Italian Wedding Soup

Italian wedding soup, known in Italian as minestra maritata, is a traditional Neapolitan soup that combines green vegetables and meat in an aromatic chicken broth. While its name may suggest this soup is served at weddings, it actually refers to the marraige of the meat and vegetables in the broth!

This soup was traditionally a peasant dish, made with inexpensive, readily availble ingredients. As early as the late 17th century, the first recipe for Minestra Maritata appears in a book by the nobleman Giovan Battista del Tufo, who describes the dish as follows: “Married Soup made of bones and meat, you would let partridges and grey partridges escape, where a piece of aged ham is inserted to better prepare the sausage, sopressata, and broccoli with its fennel and good cheese inside, so that the flavor penetrates to the center.” It has been described as the daily food of the true Neapolitan.

American adaptations often include more substantial meats, or meatballs, pasta or potatoes, and substitute spinach, kale or other leafy greens instead of broccoli rabe (which is very traditional). For this recipe, I’ve opted to include a scaled down version of my skillet meatballs and I made them bite sized, small enough to fit on a soup spoon! The sausage in the meatballs adds a lot of flavor to the broth and the broccoli rabe stands up well as it cooks.

A few tips before we begin:

• Add the pasta just before you are ready to serve, otherwise it will overcook and get mushy. If you plan to have leftovers, I suggest cooking the pasta in a separate pot and add to the soup as desired
• Make the meatballs small, about 3/4″ in size, small enough to fit on a spoon

To begin, assemble the meatballs. Add all meatball ingredients to a large bowl and mix until just combined. Then, heat the olive oil in a deep pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for about 3 minutes, gently nudging them around the pan periodically, so they brown on all sides. Then, remove them and set aside.

Next, add 2 Tbspns of olive oil to the same pot you cooked the meatballs in, add the diced onions, carrots, celery and garlic and cook until they are soft, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Then, add the broth, Parmigiano Reggiano rind, if using, dried herbs, and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and allow it to simmer for 30 minutes or longer. Stir occassionaly to help disperse the cheese rind as it breaks down.  Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Before serving, return the cooked meatballs to the pot. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, per the package recommendation. Stir in the broccoli rabe and cook until wilted and you are ready to serve.

To serve, top with grated Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh chopped parsley or torn basil and enjoy!

Italian Wedding Soup

Italian wedding soup, known in Italian as minestra maritata, is a traditional Neapolitan soup that combines green vegetables and meat in an aromatic chicken broth. 

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Course: Soups and Stews

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

For the Meatballs

• olive oil
• 1/2 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound Italian sausage (mild or spicy)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 small yellow onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/3 cup parsley, chopped
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

For the Soup

• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup carrots, diced
• 3 celery ribs, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 3/4 cup acini di pepe, ditalini or other short pasta
• 4 cups broccoli rabe, chopped (or substitute spinach, kale or chard)
• salt and pepper qb
• Parmigiano Reggiano, rind

Method

 

1. Assemble and brown the meatballs. Add all meatball ingredients to a large bowl and mix until just combined. Heat the olive oil in a deep pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the meatballs and cook for about 3 minutes, gently nudging them around the pan periodically, so they brown on all sides. Then, remove them and set aside.
2. Add the vegetables. Add 2 Tbspns of olive oil to the pan to the same pot you cooked the meatballs in. Add the diced onions, carrots, celery and garlic and cook until softened, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. 
3. Season the Broth. Add the broth, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese rind, if using, dried herbs, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for 30 minutes or longer. Stir occassionaly to help disperse the cheese rind as it breaks down.  Taste and add salt and pepper to your liking.
4. Add Meatballs, Pasta and Broccoli Rabe. Before serving, return the cooked meatballs to the pot. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, per the package recommendation. Stir in the broccoli rabe and cook until wilted.

   Tip: Add the pasta just before you are ready to serve, otherwise it will overcook and get mushy. 
5. To serve: Top with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh chopped parsley or torn basil. Buon Appetito!