Although liquid dishes seasoned with vegetables, meat or fish have eastern roots, the world owes the word “Zuppa” to the language of the ancient Romans. First courses (primo piatto) play an important role in the traditional cuisine of the inhabitants of the Apennine Peninsula. Chilled and hot, delicious and incredibly simple – the national soups of Italy conquer the hearts of gourmets no less than the famous pizza and pasta.
Minestrone
Classic Italian soup is a combination of clear broth and fresh seasonal vegetables. It is these ingredients that form the basis of Leonardo da Vinci’s favorite food – Minestrone, the name of which translates as “Big Soup”. It is believed that the thick brew first appeared at the beginning of the 15th century on the tables of the poor. It included the simplest products: lard, beans, onions, peas and greens.
Italian Minestrone is prepared for several days at once. The soup is infused for a day, as a result of which it acquires a rich and deep taste. The dish is served both piping hot and refreshingly cold.
Zuppa di piselli
During the cool winter months, the housewives of Italy treat their relatives to a hearty soup, the consistency of which is more like thick puree. The traditional Zuppa di Piselli begins by soaking the peas, which gives them a subtle, nutty flavor. In addition to legumes, carrots, garlic, celery, onions and a source of seductive aroma – diced smoked bacon – are added to the dish.
Acquacotta
The popular soup of Italian cuisine, known several centuries ago as a simple peasant food, was born thanks to shepherds from Tuscany. In order not to weaken from hunger, enterprising poor people prepared a soup from leftover bread, tomatoes, herbs, olive oil and, if they were lucky, fresh eggs. And the word “Aquacotta” itself is translated as “boiled water”. Why not “axe soup”?
Zuppa gallurese
From time immemorial, in the peasant houses of Sardinia, thick food was served for dinner – pieces of white stale bread soaked in meat broth and laid out in layers, seasoned with nutmeg and mint. This dish, which combines the first and second courses, has not lost popularity today. The hearty Zuppa Gallura differs from other soups in Italian cuisine in its preparation method. It is not boiled, but baked in the oven.
Stracciatella
One of the most original Italian soups, rich Stracciatella, cannot be called a diet food. To prepare a thick brew popular in the Lazio region, known since the time of Gaius Julius Caesar, they use strong meat broth, beaten eggs, spices and hard cheese. Garnished with grated Parmesan and toasted croutons, Stracciatella is often served as an appetizer on the Christmas and Easter table.
Passatelli
Pasta is idolized in Italy. And in the Emilia-Romagna region they even make soup based on it. We are talking about Passatelli – a stew consisting of meat or fish broth and a special type of pasta, reminiscent of short thick spaghetti. To prepare them, they do not use flour, but a mass of cheese, eggs, lemon zest and grated crackers passed through a potato masher.
Ribollita
Its unprepossessing appearance and simple set of ingredients did not prevent thick Ribollita from becoming a common first course, without which not a single Italian cookbook can do. An authentic dish originally from Tuscany is traditionally simmered in clay pots in a wood-burning oven. However, you can prepare the soup in a city kitchen by boiling potatoes, onions, carrots, celery, beans and crackers in a large saucepan.
Sciusceddu
Fragrant Shusheddu is a soup that can only be tasted in Italy during Easter. It is based on chicken broth, eggs, finely chopped parsley, pepper and Parmesan. Veal meatballs and ricotta or caciocavallo cheese add satiety to the dish. The best shushedda is served in restaurants in Messina, the Sicilian city where this high-calorie food was first prepared in the 13th century.
Zuppa alla pavese
A favorite among Italians living in the culinary-rich Lombardy region, this simple soup is ideal for hearty winter lunches. Legend has it that the warm, enveloping dish was born thanks to the defeat of Francis I at the Battle of Pavia in 1525. An Italian peasant woman took pity on the starving king and served the captive French monarch a stew consisting of meat broth, eggs, cheese and stale bread.
Cacciucco
According to the original recipe, which appeared on the Ligurian coast of Italy in the 12th century, the classic fish soup should include 13 representatives of marine fauna. Modern chefs have reduced this list to 6-7 ingredients, which does not in any way affect the taste of the delicious dish. Pepper, ginger, red wine and tomato paste give it a special piquancy.
Cachucco is the culinary pride of the residents of Italian Livorno. Every year this port city hosts the Cacciucco Pride festival, the main character of which is the famous thick seafood soup.
Even an experienced gourmet cannot remember all the names of delicious soups in Italy. Each province of this sunny country is proud of the original first courses of its regional cuisine. Thus, the menu of residents of the northern regions includes the hearty bread Panada, Tuscans prefer tomato Pappa al pomodoro, and in coastal Liguria and Calabria they respect Buridda seafood soup and Zuppa di Pesce fish soup. pesce).