What soups are eaten in Italy. Italian food. Rating of the most delicious dishes. Italian soup recipes

Remembering all the names of delicious soups in Italy is beyond the power of even an experienced gourmet. 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 a hearty bread panada (Panada), Tuscans prefer tomato Papa al pomodoro (Pappa al pomodoro), and in coastal Liguria and Calabria they respect Buridda seafood soup (Buridda) and fish soup Zuppa di Pesce (Zuppa di pesce).

The national cuisine of Italy is very interesting and multifaceted. It is famous not only for pasta, pizza, lasagna or risotto, but also for delicious first courses. In today's publication, we will look at several original recipes for Italian soups.

General principles

As a basis for cooking first courses, Italian housewives usually use water, vegetable, mushroom or fish broths. Depending on the chosen recipe, they are supplemented with durum wheat pasta, potatoes, tomatoes, celery, seafood, asparagus and other ingredients. Often in the composition of such soups there is mozzarella, parmesan or processed cheese.

Local chefs do not use sunflower oil at all. It is replaced here with an olive analogue or pork fat. As for spices, most often Italian soups are seasoned with garlic, marjoram, rosemary, basil, sage, oregano or cumin.

Minestrone

This is a light first course cooked with seasonal vegetables. Sometimes, to give more satiety, it is supplemented with rice or pasta. To prepare one of the variants of the famous minestrone, you will need:

• 100 g of cauliflower;
• 1/3 daikon;
• ½ head of red onion;
• medium potato;
• 1/3 root celery;
• ½ shallot;
• young zucchini;
• ½ each yellow and red sweet pepper;
• small carrot;
• 2 stalks of green and white asparagus;
• 10 g thyme;
• 30 ml olive oil;
• 2 cloves of garlic;
• water, basil and dill.

Having figured out the name of a light Italian vegetable soup, and what products are included in its composition, you need to familiarize yourself with the intricacies of its preparation technology. Both varieties of onions are sautéed in heated olive oil. After a couple of minutes, potatoes, carrots, stem and root celery are added to them. All this is salted, poured with a small amount of water and boiled over low heat. Almost immediately, thyme and daikon are sent to the future minestrone. At the next stage, pre-boiled cabbage inflorescences, asparagus, zucchini and scalded peppers are introduced into a pan with a boiling light Italian vegetable soup. All this continues to languish on the included stove. Ten minutes later, tomato quarters and crushed garlic are poured into a common container. A fully prepared minestrone is seasoned with a spoonful of olive oil and removed from the burner. Before serving, each serving is garnished with chopped basil and chopped dill.

Cheese cream soup

The Italian first course, made according to the recipe described below, has a pleasant taste and a delicate creamy texture. To prepare it you will need:

• 2 processed cheese;
• 4 potatoes;
• onion head;
• small carrot;
• salt, turmeric, coriander, nutmeg, black and red pepper;
• 2 liters of water;
• 40 ml olive oil;
• mustard seeds and dried parsley.

In a saucepan filled with salted boiling water, lay out slices of potatoes. Then diced cheese and sautéed vegetables are loaded there. All this is seasoned with spices and brought to full readiness. At the final stage, the soup is pierced with a blender and poured into deep bowls.

mushroom cappuccino

Many of you have never heard the name of the Italian soup, which has a delicate creamy texture and a pronounced aroma. But once you try to cook it in your own kitchen, you will often pamper your family with it. To make a mushroom cappuccino you will need:

• 130 ml cream;
• 400 g of white mushrooms;
• 70 g butter;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• 500 ml chicken broth;
• salt, nutmeg, parsley and black pepper.

A couple of large mushrooms are selected from the total mass, cut in half, fried and put aside. They will be needed to decorate the finished Italian soup. The remaining mushrooms are cut into small pieces and browned in melted butter with the addition of crushed garlic and chopped parsley. As soon as an appetizing crust appears on the surface, they are poured with broth, salted, peppered and simmered over low heat for at least a quarter of an hour. At the end of the indicated time, the contents of the pan are processed with a blender and poured into plates. Each serving is topped with warm cream flavored with ground nutmeg and garnished with fried mushrooms.

Kachukko

This thick first course is very popular with the people of Tuscany. It is prepared on the basis of fish and is more similar in texture to goulash. Having found out the name of the Italian soup made from vegetables, red wine and seafood, you need to figure out what is needed to cook it. This time you should have:

• 600 g of small fish;
• 1 kg of sea cocktail;
• 1 kg of white fish;
• 500 g of tomatoes;
• 4 cloves of garlic;
• medium carrot;
• onion head;
• stem celery;
• a glass of red wine;
• salt, water, olive oil and parsley.

You need to start the process with the processing of fish. It is cleaned, washed, boiled in salted water and ground through a sieve. The remaining broth is filtered and poured into a separate pan. Onion, celery and carrots are sautéed in an oiled pan. Then the vegetables are supplemented with seafood and fried all together over low heat. As soon as the contents of the pan are lightly browned, it is poured with wine and stewed under the lid for about ten minutes. After the indicated time has elapsed, peeled and chopped tomatoes, as well as two glasses of broth, are added to the common dish. After twenty minutes, the almost ready soup is supplemented with mashed fish and boiled for a little more than a quarter of an hour. Shortly before the fire is turned off, cacucco is sprinkled with chopped herbs.

pappa al pomodoro

This recipe will surely attract the attention of those who want to know the name of a light Italian vegetable and tomato soup and how to cook it properly. To feed your family a hot Tuscan lunch you will need:

• 150 g of white bread;
• 800 g of tomatoes, canned in their own juice;
• 120 g of root celery;
• head of red onion;
• small carrot;
• stem celery;
• 5 large cloves of garlic;
• ½ cayenne pepper;
• 150 ml dry red wine;
• 1 tsp thyme;
• a little grated parmesan;
• coarse sea salt, olive oil and green onion arrows.

First of all, you need to deal with vegetables. They are washed, if necessary, cleaned and crushed. Then onions, carrots, stem and root celery are sautéed in olive oil. As soon as they acquire a golden hue, mashed tomatoes and wine are added to them. All this is stewed for about a quarter of an hour, and then supplemented with garlic, thyme and cayenne pepper. The almost ready soup is heated over low heat and insisted under the lid. Then drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with grated parmesan and decorate with green onion arrows.

stracciatella

This light Italian soup gets its name from the “rags” that form when beaten raw eggs are added to boiling water. To prepare it you will need:

• 1.5 liters of water;
• 300 g chicken thighs;
• 5 st. l. semolina;
• 50 g parmesan;
• 2 eggs;
• salt, lavrushka, ground nutmeg and parsley.

First of all, you should take care of the chicken. It is washed and boiled in salted boiling water, supplemented with bay leaf. Then the meat is removed from the broth, separated from the bone, crushed and put aside. Pour semolina into the liquid in which it was boiled and wait about five minutes. Then eggs beaten with nutmeg are poured into the same place. Literally a minute later, grated cheese, chopped greens and pieces of chicken are poured into the boiling soup.

Ribollita

This light Italian vegetable soup has a rich history. Previously, it was cooked in heat-resistant earthenware from the leftovers of yesterday's dinner, flavored with onions, spices and olive oil. To weld a modern version of ribollita, you will need:

• 200 g cabbage;
• 80 g of beans;
• 2 potatoes;
• 3 tomatoes;
• small carrot;
• onion head;
• stem celery;
• 4 slices of white bread;
• 1 liter of vegetable broth;
• 3 art. l. olive oils;
• salt and dried thyme;

Onions, celery and carrots are sautéed in a greased heated stewpan. As soon as they become soft, potatoes and tomatoes are added to them. All this is briefly stewed on low heat. Then the vegetables are supplemented with finely chopped cabbage, pre-soaked beans and broth. The future soup is prepared in a closed saucepan for about two hours. After the specified time has elapsed, it is poured into a ceramic container, the bottom of which is lined with slices of bread, and sent to the oven. Ten minutes later, the soup is sprinkled with olive oil, sprinkled with spices and served for dinner.

Carcerato

This is a traditional Italian soup made from boneless meat and offal. To prepare it for your family you will need:

• 100 g of fat with meat streaks;
• 100 g of lamb kidneys;
• 100 g boneless beef;
• 100 g parmesan;
• 2 small carrots;
• 3 cloves of garlic;
• 6 slices of bread;
• 4 peppercorns;
• onion head;
• olive oil;
• water for making broth;

Pieces of lard are fried in a greased hot frying pan. As soon as cracklings are obtained from them, carrots, garlic and onions are added to them. Then pieces of meat, kidneys and sausages are sent to a common container. The browned ingredients are transferred to a suitable saucepan, poured with water and boiled over low heat. Shortly before the completion of the process, the dish is seasoned with ground pepper. The finished soup is poured onto plates garnished with slices of whole grain bread and sprinkled with grated parmesan.

Soups, unlike the countries of Eastern Europe, are not so popular on the Apennine Peninsula. Even if we are talking about Italian soups, such as minestrone or gazpacho. The only exception here can be considered only the Veneto region with its capital in the city of Venice. In Veneto, soups are definitely consumed no less than pasta, but rather more often. In fairness, it should be noted that the influence of Slavic cuisine on Italian cuisine has increased significantly in recent years, and this gives us every reason to believe that the situation will change soon.

Be that as it may, there are plenty of soups in the Italian cookbook and the Italians know how to cook them. Let's talk a little about the features and main differences of Italian soups and how to cook Italian soup.

Italian soups

The whole variety of Italian soups can be divided into creamy and transparent ones. Creamy hot dishes are prepared with ingredients that can be ground very finely. Transparent Italian soups are prepared on the basis of meat broth. The secret to the taste of clear Italian soups lies in the broth. Take the time to prepare it carefully and you will be rewarded. For my taste, the most delicious are those transparent Italian soups in which they put the “correct” pasta. There will be an opportunity - try to cook such a soup using Acini de pepe or Orzo pastes. And if you are a supporter of a healthy diet and focus on this, then try to get pasta varieties such as Farfala or Ditali.

The most popular Italian soups are: minestrone, cold tomato soup gazpacho, Florentine consommé, minestra, ribollita, ancon brodetto, aquacotta, garmugio, macchi, panada, pasatelli in brodo, pappa al pomodoro, sciusceddu, al empresse, alla canavese, stracciatella , alla modenese and ginistrato (seafood soup).

Creamy cheese soup with spices, Italian chicken noodles with tomatoes and spinach, rice soup, Tuscan soup with fresh olive oil, Neapolitan lentil soup, Mediterranean fish soup with curry and saffron, Italian onion soup, Cabbage and white bean soup, champignon Milanese soup, Trieste-style seafood soup, lobster soup, Milanese consommé, soup with bread, tomato basil soup are all Italian soups.

In Italy, there are light soups that are prepared mainly on the basis of the broth. They are usually served at the beginning of dinner. And there is a village stew like minestre, in which pasta or rice is added for density and satiety. The rice used to make Italian soups is called Carnaroli. This is a large grain Italian rice that cooks evenly and does not become too soft during the cooking process. , used in soups can be "fresh" and have a different shape:

• cut out in the form of small squares ("quadrucci");
• carved in the form of larger pieces of irregular shape ("maltagliati" - "badly cut");
• or in the form of long thin strips ("capellini" - "angel hair").

If “dry” pasta is used instead, it can be as large as a grain of rice (“peperini” or “stelline”), in the form of small slices or tubes, or even just spaghetti cut into short pieces. Rice, cereals and pasta in soups should be cooked strictly "al dente", that is, well cooked, but still remain firm to the bite.

History of Italian soups

Mediterranean cuisine in ancient times

The first method of cooking was roasting food over an open fire. He appeared as soon as the primitive man was able to localize the fire, learn to control it and make it serve him.

Before humanity was able to cook the first soup, a lot of time passed from that moment. To prepare soup, primitive cooking had to go through a long evolutionary path of development.

The discovery of ceramics by mankind is what really made soup possible. Ceramic utensils make it possible to keep water in a state of boiling, which means it advances the technique of cooking far ahead.

In the Mediterranean region (according to archaeologists) this significant event took place about 7,000 years ago, that is, to put it mildly, quite a long time ago. It was a real revolution in cooking! It became possible to soften many roots, vegetables and grains, making them suitable for eating. And from the bones of animals it became possible to digest useful substances, saturating them with water in which all these solid ingredients will be boiled.

There were sensational new flavors and more complex dishes: grains could give a dish more body, olive oil could enrich the taste, and many other ingredients, now available, could completely change this taste.

First courses appeared - various mixtures of meat, vegetables and herbs. A little later, porridges appeared, or rather, “porridge-like” dishes, the progenitors of modern porridges. They were called "pulse" (or "pulmentum") and it is believed that the Romans adopted them from the Etruscans. Some of them have survived to this day. For example, this dish is still very popular in Northern Italy.

Italian soups in the Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, soup was the most common dish, because in times of extreme poverty and food shortages, there is no better way to feed hungry families with a meager set of products than to make soup from them. It is the technology of making soup that allows you to make the most of the few edible products that were at the disposal of the medieval housewife.

Wealthier households prepared soups or brodetti (Italian "brodo" means "broth"). Hard ingredients (such as meat and vegetables) were removed after boiling with special sticks, knives, or directly with bare hands. They were served and eaten separately from the broth, and the broth itself was drunk directly from the cups.

Later, during the Renaissance, soups began to serve as an introduction to the meal - they were consumed at the very beginning. The advent of the spoon allowed soups to become even more sophisticated and complex.

The very word “suppa” (soup, soupe, sop, sopa, sopen, zuppa) came into Italian from the language of the Franks, the most powerful Germanic tribes that settled in the former Roman province of Gaul and over the centuries turned into French. The Italians began to use it to refer to bread dipped in cooking broth. At the same time, all soups are called minestra in Italy - from lat. "minestrare" i.e. "serve the dish to the table."

Italian soups in the country's regional cuisines

Bolognese soups

Among the light soups we can mention the famous "Tortellini in Brodo" (tortellini in broth) from Bologna. This is a very complex dish made from pasta in the form of small rings, which are filled with an aromatic mixture of various types of meat and boiled in meat broth.

Roman soups

In Rome, we find the Stracciatella soup: the broth is brought to a boil and the mixture of egg and grated parmigiano is slowly poured into it, forming small “carpets” on the surface. The broth for this dish is made from beef or a mixture of different types of meat (beef, beef bones, chicken and turkey), boiled together with vegetables (carrots, celery, tomatoes, potatoes, parsley, peppers and cloves). At the end, it is degreased and filtered to remove all residues.

Venetian soups

In Venice we find a special soup: "Risi e Bisi" ("rice and peas"). The Venetians will tell you that this dish is actually neither a soup, nor is it, as this "soupy" dish is served at the table with a creamy consistency.

This is the oldest recipe of Italian cuisine, which since the beginning of the 14th century has traditionally been served at the table of the “Doge” (Duke, ruler of the “Most Excellent” Republic of Venice) on April 25 during the celebration of St. Mark. Rice was a very valuable commodity in those days. It was imported from the Far East and was then considered so rare that it was sold as a spice. Rice would later be planted in the plains along the Po River and would become a staple food for the inhabitants of this region.

Alpine soups

In the mountainous regions of the Italian Alps, Zuppa d'Orzo, barley soup, is very popular. The most famous soup among Italian minestre is, of course, minestrone (which translates as "big soup" or, as they joke, "soup"), cooked with beans and a mixture of all the vegetables available at this time of the year. In fact, the term "minestrone" itself has long become synonymous with the concept of "a mixture of all things." In Liguria, a large spoonful of pesto sauce is added to the minestrone, which gives it more flavor.

Soups of Tuscany

Tuscany is considered the birthplace of "Pasta e Fagioli" - the best bean soup in Italy, known in the United States as "Pasta Fazul" (a dialect expression of Italian migrants).

In addition, locals claim that the famous Carabaccia onion soup was also born here. Legend has it that Catherine de Medici, having married the future King of France, took with her Tuscan chefs who were supposed to cook her favorite Tuscan dishes for her in France. Among them was “Carabaccia”, the same onion soup that soon turned into the French “Soupe A l’Oignon”.

In Tuscany we will also find Ribollita, a thick black cabbage soup, and Pappa al Pomodoro, a thick tomato soup with slices of local rustic bread.

Soups of central Italy

In the central regions of Italy you will find a lot of delicious pasta soups with vegetables or legumes: "Pasta e Lenticchie" (lentil soup), "Pasta e Ceci" (chickpea soup), "Pasta e Patate" (potato soup), "Pasta e Broccoli" (cauliflower soup), "Minestra di Spinaci" (spinach soup), "Riso e Indivia" (rice and endive soup, which is considered very healthy). Also worth noting are Brodo Vegetale (a light vegetarian beetroot soup without pasta) and Pancotto (bread soup).

In the highlands of Abruzzo, this is the traditional "Minestra di Farro" (spelled soup), a real rustic soup made from soaked spelled grains, garlic, onions and pancetta (Italian bacon).

Neapolitan soups

In Naples, and in general in the Campania region, you can find a soup that was first prepared in the United States by Italian migrants from this area: "Minestra Maritata". This is a very rich soup made with meat (ham, beef, sausage, pork), vegetables (cabbage, escarole, carrot, chicory and broccoli) and herbs (celery, onion and parsley). The literal translation of the name is “married soup”. The name well reflects that the ingredients (meat and vegetables) are perfectly “married” and merged together in this soup. Some translators mistakenly believed that this soup was served during Italian weddings and translated its name as "Wedding Soup", which created a lot of confusion.

Sicilian soups

In Sicily, we finally find Macco di Fave, a beloved simple thick soup made from dried beans that are soaked in water, boiled until tender, and then mashed to a puree consistency. Serve warm with a drizzle of Sicilian olive oil. This simple soup appears to be very ancient. Its recipe dates back to the times of the Roman Empire, when porridge soups were very common. The name itself comes from the Latin word "maccare" and is translated into Russian as "mess".

Zuppa di Pesce (fish soups)

Italian fish soups, the so-called Zuppa di Pesce, stand apart. Italy is a peninsula with a long (more than 2,500 km or 1,600 nautical miles) coastline. Each city on the coast has a claim to the authorship of one or another type of fish soup with a characteristic name and the use of fish or crustaceans of its area: Ciuppin, Buridda, Cacciucco, Caldaro, Cassola, Brudet, Zuppa, Sopa, Boreto, Capperata. How the soup should be prepared, and what kind of fish should be used for it, is often the subject of fierce debate.

In conclusion, another Italian culinary proverb that perfectly characterizes the diversity of Italian regional traditions: "Tell me what kind of soup you eat, and I'll tell you where you come from."

Italian soup recipes

In this section of the site, we post recipes for Italian soups, both well-known outside of Italy, and those whose names no one has ever heard of here. In fact, in Italy, many dishes (including soups) have remained at the level of rural regional cuisine, not rising to the level of national and, moreover, to the level of international. And it's not that there's something wrong with them. The competition is just awesome. We will try to correct this defect.

This delicious soup comes from Italy itself, it is prepared in twenty-five minutes, it will take another fifteen minutes to prepare. Agree, there is not much time for such an exquisite first course.

Ingredients for four servings:
- 2 liters of water;
- 4 potatoes;
- 2 onions;
- 160 g of processed cheese;
- 80 g butter;
- 50 ml of vegetable oil;
- salt, seasonings for an amateur.

First, peel the potatoes, boil them until cooked, cool. After that, wipe the potatoes through a sieve, add butter to the resulting puree.

Peel the onions, chop and fry in vegetable oil (five minutes is enough). Add onion to potatoes, mix.

Put cheese, grated potatoes into the potato broth, salt to taste, mix. Simmer Italian soup over low heat for ten minutes.

Before serving, sprinkle with chopped herbs of your choice. Perfect for a quick breakfast or a light lunch or dinner.

Just Italian soup with croutons

Simple, quick, delicious - these three words characterize this simple but flavorful soup from Italy in the best possible way! Preparation time is only twenty minutes, the soup is prepared in twenty-five minutes.

Ingredients for two servings:
- 500 ml of meat broth;
- 150 g of potatoes;
- 110 g of white bread, bell pepper;
- 80 g of onion;
- 50 g fresh celery;
- 30 ml of vegetable oil, cream;
- salt for an amateur.

Chop the onion. Remove the seeds from the bell pepper, remove the white partitions, cut. fry a little with onion in vegetable oil.

Cut the bread into slices, fry in a pan or in the oven until golden brown.

Peel the potatoes, rinse, cut into cubes.

Bring any meat broth to a boil, reduce the heat after that immediately, cook with the added potatoes for fifteen minutes.

Arrange the croutons on plates, pour over the soup. Decorate the dish with additional cream. Serve hot. Have a nice meal!

Abruzzo celery soup

Try a delicious light soup with celery, which is so loved by Italians in the town of Abruzzo! Only twenty minutes to prepare and about half an hour to cook - and that's it, the soup is in front of you! And what an aroma spreads throughout the house! He will definitely gather the whole family around the table.

Ingredients for four servings:
- 1 liter of meat broth;
- 400 g of petiole celery;
- 120 g of rice;
- 50 g of loin, parmesan cheese;
- 30 g of onion, tomato paste, olive oil;
- pepper, salt to taste.

Peel the celery. rinse, cut into slices about one centimeter thick.

Dice the onion with the loin, lightly fry in olive oil, then add the celery along with the tomato paste, fry for another five minutes.

Heat the broth in a saucepan, put the vegetables with the loin there, cook for about fifteen or twenty minutes, be sure to cover the dishes with a lid!

Rinse the rice, send it to the soup. Salt, pepper already to taste. Cook until the rice is cooked (this is another ten minutes).

Season the soup with Parmesan cheese, after rubbing it, just before serving.

Minestra - soup in a pot

Minestra is an Italian soup that is cooked in pots. And you probably know that dishes from pots are richer and more fragrant! So be sure to try cooking this culinary masterpiece of Italy at home.

Ingredients for four servings:
- 1.5 liters of broth;
- 50 g of fatty and lean ham, onions, potatoes, cabbage, fresh tomatoes;
- 30 g carrots;
- 25 g of beans and peas;
- a couple of cloves of garlic;
- basil, lavrushka, salt to taste.

Finely chop the whole lean ham, and only half of the fatty ham, fry it together with the onion, cut into half rings.

Cut all the necessary vegetables, fry, adding to the ham. Soak the peas and beans for two hours.

Put prepared ingredients in salted broth, add chopped tomatoes, basil. Send lavrushka (a couple of sheets) there as well.

Cook the soup for forty minutes in the oven in a clay pot. Don't forget to stir it from time to time!

Rub the rest of the fatty ham with garlic, send it to the soup five minutes before the end of cooking.

Before serving, Italians add grated cheese to such a soup, but this is up to you!