A wedding is one of the most sacred family celebrations. And Italians even have a special soup to celebrate the concept. But it’s the marriage of the ingredients and the unique whole they produce that makes Italian Wedding Soup so endearing…
Italian Wedding Soup is, without doubt, the most comprehensive soup there is. It literally has every ingredient you could ask for in a soup – all in one soup. It does, in reality, qualify as a stew…
A little history…
“Taken from the Neapolitan minestra maritata, or ‘married soup’, the name refers to the marriage of delicious ingredients that come together in the dish,” Italian cuisine expert Dominica Marchetti tells us. “To get the full ex-perience, the meatballs should be small [and] spoon-sized, and the greens and the pasta delicate and yielding to the other flavors.”
Wedding Soup was created in Naples and the Campania region as a no-waste peasant meal. Which is why there are so many regional variations of the dish, according to what folks ate (and had left over) in different locations. Cooks originally employed cheap meat scraps, pork rinds, or sausage combined with seasonal wild greens such as escarole or cabbage. But over time, the recipe grew into a rich, celebratory dish often served during winter holidays like Christmas and the Feast of Santo Stefano (Boxing Day).
What’s traditional?
Certainly, leafy greens, mini meatballs and small pasta leap to mind when I think of Italian Wedding Soup. They’re the recipe basics that make Wedding Soup what it is. The broth is traditionally chicken, though the meatballs should authentically be a blend of beef and pork. Again, a reflection of the dish’s la cucina povera, ‘peasant cooking’ roots.
But today, the multitude of recipes out there call for anything and everything you might expect to find in an classic Italian soup. That’s the regional differences kicking in.
The flavour base of the broth is traditional Italian Soffrito – carrots, onions and celery, and lots of them. Dice the veggies medium so they retain their identity in the final product.
Garlic is an absolute must. Most cooks use a moderate to generous amount: 3 to 4 cloves (minced or pressed) or 1 tsp. garlic flakes or powder, for a batch that will serve 6 to 8.
The pasta must be small, to share the spoon fairly with other ingredients. Ditilini, Orzo and Pastini are commonly used.
The greens are traditionally escarole or broccolini. But you can experiment with whatever takes your fancy…
Secret’s in the simmer…
The real secret to good Italian Wedding Soup is in the simmering. Long enough for all the flavours to marry and meld. But not so long that the veggies and pasta become mushy.
My take
Thanks to its anything and everything heritage, this soup begs to be customized. You can literally make it your own AND keep it authentic!
With the days getting cooler and winter definitely on the way, Italian Wedding Soup would make a great addition to your weeknight or even weekend supper rotation…
~ Maggie J.