Don’t forget to submit your favorite family recipetoday so we canadd it to ouronline cookbook!
In the meantime, enjoy this delicious soup Pat has shared with us. It’s a great starter for any holiday meal, and it tastes even better as re-heated leftovers!
Who taught you this recipe?
My mother, who learned it from her mother.It is, of course, unconventional in the language, measurements, and technique (this is not the Food Network version, it is real old-time Italian cooking, verbally passed on to a novice cook). Have fun with it, and experiment/tweak to your taste!
How long has this recipe been passed down in your family?
My grandchildren are now making it on holidays, so five generations altogether.
When did your family use this recipe?
Even though this recipe iscommonly referred to as Wedding Soup, our family called it “Holiday Soup.” As you can guess, it is becausewe ate it, happily, each and every holiday!
I cannot count the number of times my husband and kids rolled meatballs together while watching the big football game — and I was always yelling at them from the kitchen because they were rolling them too big!
What is your favorite memory of cooking this recipe?
The Thanksgiving my daughters I first taught my grandchildren to make it. We had an assembly line down the kitchen counter of meatball rollers while we watched the Macy’s parade, told stories and laughed!
Ingredients:
- 1 large roasting chicken
- 1/2 can of diced tomatoes
- 5 or six celery stalks (with leaves)
- 4 carrots
- 3 lbs. or endive or escarole
- 1/2 lb. ground pork
- 1/2 lb. ground veal (can substitute either or both meats with meat of choice – beef, turkey, etc.)
- 5 eggs
- 1 slice of Italian bread
- 1/2 lb. (container) of grated Romano cheese
- 1 lb. pastina noodles (these is optional — traditionally, we never used them in the soup growing up, but my grandchildren love having them added in)
Preparation:
- To make the broth, wash and pat dry the large roasting chicken. Then place it ina large pot and fill the pot with water.
- Bring the water/chicken to a boil. As scum appears, skim it from the water’s surface.
- Continue boiling and removing the scum until there is no more scum. Then add 1/2 can (or a little more) of diced tomatoes and (generous) salt to taste.
- Add 5 or 6 washed and cut celery stalks and leaves, as well as 3 or 4 washed and cut carrots.
- Boil everything slowly for 3 or 4 hours (until the liquid fills 1/2 the pot). Then remove the chicken.
- To prepare the endive, boil water in aseparate large pot. Add 3 lbs. of endive or escarole (your choice) and let it boil until it is tender.
- Drain the endive (or escarole) and cut it into small pieces.
- To make the meatballs, mix together 1 lb. of ground meat (I suggest 1/2 lb. pork and 1/2 lb. veal, but any meat can work), 1 egg, 1 slice of bread soaked in water (excess water squeezed), 1/2 lb. of grated Romano cheese, salt andpepper to taste. *If the mixture seems dry, dry add a little water. If too moist, add some breadcrumbs.
- Form the mixed meat into “LITTLE” meatballs (the size of a nickel and no bigger if possible!).
Cooking Instructions:
- Bring the brothback to a boil and place the meatballs into it.
- Allow the meatballs to cook until they are brownish in color (you need to use your own judgement, depending on the size of the meatballs.)
- While the meatballs cook, beat together 4 eggs and the remaining1/2 lb. of Romano cheese.
- Add the cooked endive to the egg & cheese mixture and stir together.
- Oncethe meatballs are browned, pour the pastina noodles into the broth (if you are using them) and allow a few minutes for them to cook. Then pour the endive, egg and cheese mixture into the broth. Important: DO NOT STIR THE EGG MIXTURE IN THE BROTH FOR 3 0R 4 MINUTES (so the eggs and cheese can cook).
- Once the egg whites look poached (again, after 3 or 4 minutes), then stir the soup.
- If you desire, you can cut up some of the chicken and add it for a hardier soup.
- Serve the soup with a little grated cheese sprinkled on top.
You can always buy canned chicken broth if you aren’t feeling adventurous enough to make your own.Either way, have fun and Buon Appetito!
Like us on Facebook to receive more Italian American recipes.
FAQs
Minestra maritata (The Original Italian “Wedding Soup”)
"Wedding soup" is a popular Italian-American dish made with escarole and tiny meatballs simmered in chicken broth and adorned with small pasta, typically of the tiny acini di pepe (or "peppercorn") type.
Is wedding soup served at weddings? ›
Upon a quick Google search, you'll learn Italian Wedding Soup is not a soup traditionally served at Italian weddings at all (bummer), but yet another Italian American twist on a classic—Minestra Maritata.
What is good to eat with Italian wedding soup? ›
The best side dishes to serve with Italian wedding soup are garlic bread, garden salad, cauliflower pizza bowl, zucchini noodles, Caesar salad, stuffed mushrooms, gluten-free bread, Israeli couscous, focaccia, Rice-A-Roni, garlic Parmesan knots, cherry tomato salad, apple slaw, Parmesan crisps, and mozzarella sticks.
Do Italians eat wedding soup at weddings? ›
No, it's not the traditional soup of nuptials! The name wedding comes from the Italian phrase minestra maritata which means 'married soup. ' Why is it married? It's the marriage of ingredients, and the resulting delicious flavor, in the soup!
Is Italian wedding soup actually Italian? ›
Not at all. Today's Italians have never heard of it. The soup originated in Spain as a “marriage” of hearty greens and several kinds of meats. It was brought to Naples after the Spaniards took over rule of Naples in 1501, where it was called minestra maritata, or married soup.
What is in Rao's Italian wedding soup? ›
Slow-simmered Italian Wedding Soup made with chicken broth, beef and pork meatballs, carrots, acini di pepe pasta, spinach, and onions.
What is the most famous soup in Italy? ›
Minestrone is a classic Italian soup known worldwide as one of the best Italian soups. It's got a flavorful broth and a variety of slow-cooked vegetables like potatoes, peas, and carrots. Adding Italian sausage gives it a kick of flavor and a shot of protein, so it's a complete meal all by itself.
What is the difference between minestrone and Italian wedding soup? ›
It's similar to minestrone, but is made with meatballs; minestrone is usually made from vegetables and pasta. Italian wedding soup is a phenomenal freezer-friendly soup, and it doesn't take long to make – a perfect project for a chilly afternoon!
Why do they call it wedding soup? ›
The term wedding soup comes from a mistranslation of the Italian language phrase minestra maritata ('married soup'). Minestra maritata more directly translates to 'wedded broths'. The marriage of its meats and veggies inside of its broth is the only matrimony relevant in this context.
Who invented wedding soup? ›
The soup originated in Spain as a “marriage” of hearty greens and several kinds of meats. It was brought to Naples after the Spaniards took over rule of Naples in 1501, where it was called minestra maritata, or married soup. The name wedding soup is a corruption of the original.
Generally, a typical wedding menu for a buffet might include a chicken entree, beef, pasta, multiple side dish options, salad, and dinner rolls. We recommend including options for vegan guests and those with dietary restrictions. You also can tweak the buffet options to include a favorite dish, from seafood to lamb.
What is the national soup of Italy? ›
Minestrone Soup - National Soup of Italy.
What is a substitute for escarole in Italian wedding soup? ›
Fresh spinach: If you're not a fan of bitter greens, substitute bunched or baby spinach for the traditional escarole or kale in Italian wedding soup. Add the spinach later in the cooking process, as it takes only a few minutes to cook. Thawed and chopped frozen spinach works in a pinch, too.
What is in Campbell's Italian wedding soup? ›
CHICKEN BROTH (WATER, CHICKEN STOCK), BEEF MEATBALLS (SOY), ACINI DE PEPE PASTA (WHEAT FLOUR, EGG WHITE), SPINACH, POTATO STARCH, SALT, DRIED ONION, PARMESAN AND CHEDDAR CHEESE (MILK), DRIED GARLIC, SPICES, FLAVOUR (CONTAINS CELERY), MONOSODIUM GLUTAMATE, DISODIUM GUANYLATE, DISODIUM INOSINATE, AUTOLYZED YEAST EXTRACT, ...
What's the name of the soup from Olive Garden? ›
It's your favorite Olive Garden Copycat recipe for Zuppa Toscana! This is a slightly smaller batch, made in a small dutch oven to make 3-4 bowls of soup. If you've never been delighted by a creamy soup with chunks of sausage, bacon and potatoes, then you aren't living the way the rest of us are living.
Why is it called mulligatawny soup? ›
Mulligatawny (/ˌmʌlɪɡəˈtɔːni/) is a soup which originated from South Indian cuisine. The name originates from the Tamil words miḷagu (மிளகு 'black pepper'), and taṇṇi (தண்ணி, 'water'); literally, "pepper-water". It is related to the dish rasam.
