Italian zuppe

Winter soups to warm up the season

Winter is the perfect time to appreciate the richness and variety of Italian soups. Zuppe are also a good way to warm you up throughout the cold days and nights.
Italian cuisine is characterized by its reliance on fresh ingredients and a generous helping of resourcefulness and inventiveness, and all these elements are on full display in the many zuppe Italy has to offer.
Minestrone is the king of all the Italian soups. There is no "true" form, since it can contain any combination of vegetables, in addition to small types of pasta. Every region in Italy has a few versions of this classic dish. One version, for instance, calls for carrots, onions, turnips, celery, leeks, green cabbage, green peppers, and green peas.
Tuscany offers up Minestra di Pane e Ribollita, a hearty soup that features a long-leafed type of cabbage known as cavolo nero. In addition to cavolo nero, this zuppa also features dried white beans, onions, carrots, celery, parsley, olive oil, tomato paste, beet greens, potatoes, salt and pepper to taste, and a sprig of thyme. One of the most important parts of Minestra di Pane e Ribollita is the pane, or bread, which in this case should be thinly sliced day-old Italian white bread.
There's a myriad of bean soups in the Italian zuppe tradition. A favourite is pasta e fagioli soup. To make, sauté a large onion and five garlic cloves in olive oil for a few minutes. Chop a large can of tomatoes and put in a slow cooker along with two cups of chicken broth, along with the sautéed onion and garlic. Add a tablespoon of parsley and a little salt and pepper, cook for about an hour. Add the cooked macaroni and beans; cook an additional 30 minutes.
Walnuts tend to be a common ingredient in soups from the northern regions. The walnuts are often combined with a cream or milk for a smooth and slightly sweet zuppa. This particular recipe for Minestra di Noci (Walnut Soup) hails from Piedmont. To make, you'll need 1 1/3 pounds (600 g) walnuts, 1 cup whole milk or cream, 2 liters of beef broth, a few slices of day old bread, 2 tablespoons, unsalted butter, for browning the bread, and salt and pepper to taste. To make, shell the walnuts, blanch the nutmeats in abundant salted water, drain them, and peel away the walnut skins. Grind the walnuts in a mortar, or blend them (short bursts to keep from liquefying them), and combine them with the milk, to obtain a liquid cream. Bring the broth to a boil, and while it's heating toast the slices of bread in the butter. Stir the walnut cream into the broth, dust it with pepper to taste, and cook it for a few minutes, then serve it steaming hot, the sliced bread.
Shellfish are an important part of the Italian zuppa tradition. Mussel Soup is a wonderful dish to bring out if company is coming. The shellfish are combined in a spicy sauce that's enriched with white wine and dried basil, among a host of other ingredients. Garnish with croutons or sprigs of parsley.
Lentil Soup uses more than a dozen ingredients, including carrots, marjoram, thyme, and two tablespoons of sherry. This soup is a welcome addition to the table when you don't feel like cooking - it can be kept in the refrigerator for up to four days, and it also freezes well.
For something richer, there's Minestra di Riso e Lenticchie, a satisfying rice and lentil soup from Umbria. Here, Arborio rice is mixed with lentils, olive oil, tomatoes, water, and ground cured lard for a distinctive taste.
Tripe, which is often served in a stewed spicy sauce, is also featured in a soup from Milan. Tripe, which is called trippa in southern Italian regions, goes by the alias busecca in Milan, which is the name for this unusually and tasty zuppa. The meat is combined with beans, carrots, tomatoes, butter, sage, onions, celery and olive oil.
To make, take the boiled tripe and cut it into thin strips; fill a pot with water and simmer it for another hour. When the hour is almost up heat the butter and the oil in a casserole and sauté the onions. When they have become golden add the tripe, and, a few minutes later, the beans, celery, carrots, tomatoes, and sage. Season the pot with salt and pepper, and add a little boiling water, (enough to cover). Cover and simmer over a gentle flame for about three hours, and serve it steaming hot, with a dusting of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.

Publication Date: 2004-01-18
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=3540