Mary Ann's Blog
Soup Does Seven Things
February 2, 2025
In cold and long winter days, kitchen cravings for some serious soup takes over and I often gravitate to making some of my favorite heirloom Italian varieties.
Italian soups like many others were born out of what ingredients were on hand, what we call “kitchen sink soup.” A handful of beans, soup bones, some herbs and even cheese rinds were the foundation of soup. I always loved some of the names attributed to soup like the endearing “soup with bread under it” that my aunt Santina’s mother, Mrs. Belurgi made. To me she was Mrs. B and her soup made with stale slices of coarse bread, Swiss chard and tomatoes always intrigued me because not only was it delicious, it was served on a platter not in a soup bowl and was thick enough to eat with a fork!
As years went by and travel to Italy grew more frequent, I became more acquainted not only with a wide number of regional soups but also with the unique techniques that Italians use. Often, they would mention “gli odori” meaning the flavor enhancers, those key ingredients that a serious cook must have to make la zuppa! That meant onions, carrots, celery and parsley, were musts for many soups.
In the alpine region of northern Italy, beans play a big role in hearty soup and are often pureed and used to thicken it. In the rich gastronomic region of Emilia Romagna, home to Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, even the rinds go into soup. In Liguria, famous for pesto, no serious minestrone soup would be without it and just about everyone I know loves wedding soup, made with marble size meatballs and escarole.
Ingenious in every way was passatelli, a soup made from breadcrumbs, egg, lemon zest and grated cheese that was formed into a hard dough and grated. These were then added to boiling chicken broth. In the tomato rich regions of the south, tomatoes, fish and seafood formed the basis of many soups and their distinct rich flavors were coaxed out of using the trimmings from fish and shellfish.
For Italians, la zuppa fa sette cose, which is an old proverb meaning: soup does seven things: quenches thirst, satisfies hunger, fills you up, aids in digestion, makes your teeth sparkle, colors your cheeks and helps you sleep. Buon appetito!
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