Minestrone is a classic Italian soup.
When serving a classic Italian meal for company, starting with a homemade soup sets the tone for the meal ahead. Several Italian soups will complement an entree nicely, especially when attention is paid to seasonal varieties and how light or filling the soup course is. A relatively clean broth soup pairs well with a heavy pasta dish, and a soup with more heft might round out a fish and steamed vegetable plate.
Minestrone
Minestrone, probably the most well-known of the Italian soups, is a tomato-based soup that contains a variety of mixed vegetables, beans and a small pasta such as macaroni. The word hodgepodge comes up frequently when discussing the ingredient list for minestrone, but that doesn't make it any less tasty. Recipes for minestrone are as plentiful as those for chicken noodle and will incorporate the regional fare at hand. Coastal Italian towns might add shellfish, and inland regions incorporate sausage or other meats into the soup.
Stracciatella
This soup, also known as Roman egg drop soup, features thin strands of cooked egg. This is a light soup, classically made with just broth, Parmesan cheese and raw egg whisked into the soup before serving. Additional seasonings and ingredients might include nutmeg, lemon juice, orzo pasta or fresh herbs. Before adding the egg, beat it in a small bowl until smooth and add in the Parmesan cheese. When the broth is hot, whisk the egg and cheese mixture into the soup and stir continuously until the egg cooks thoroughly.
Pasta Fagioli
A well-known starter in many Italian restaurants, this classic pasta and bean (fagioli) soup has a homey, filling quality. Add texture by removing a cup of the beans with some broth toward the end of the cooking time and blend until it reaches a smooth consistency. Whisk this back into the broth and cook for another 10 or 15 minutes. This soup works well as a hearty, vegetarian soup or with the addition of prosciutto or bacon.
Italian Wedding Soup
The Italian name for this soup is "minestra maritata" which literally means "marriage soup," and doesn't have anything to do with weddings at all. The marriage here is the combination of meat broth and cooked greens, both of which are cooked separately and then "married" prior to serving. The meat broth should be cooked fresh, from the carcass of beef or chicken along with root vegetables and light herbs such as parsley. After cooking, strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer. Allow the broth to cool long enough so the fat collects on top and can be skimmed off. Boil a combination of chard, spinach, kale, collards or cabbage in a separate stockpot until tender and add to the hot broth the drained greens into the hot meat broth.
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