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Jan.9, 2005 -Jan.16, 2005 |
Italian zuppe
Winter soups to warm up the season
By Rita Simonetta
Originally Published: 2004-01-18
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.
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