Wedding Soup – Minestra Maritata
Who has not heard of wedding soup? It was served as a first course at my own wedding but it was never intended for such an occasion. It got its name from the fact that all the ingredients go together well just like a married couple. There are so many watered down versions of this soup. But here is what was served at mine.
Ingredients
- For the broth
- 1 large onion, peeled
- 10 to 12 whole cloves
- 2 large celery stalks with leaves, cut into quarters
- 2 large carrots, scraped and cut into quarters
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 small bunch parsley
- 3 fresh sprigs thyme
- 3lbs chicken wings
- 1 large lemon, thinly sliced into rounds, seeds removed
- Meatballs
- 1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs,. crust removed
- 3 tbsp milk
- 1/2 lb ground veal or chuck
- 1 small egg
- 1/4 cup grated Pecorino cheese
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- grinding black pepper
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium size head escarole cleaned and coarsely chopped
Directions
- Stud the onion with the cloves and place in a large soup pot with the celery, carrots, bay leaf, parsley thyme, chicken wings and lemon slices. Cover the ingredients with water and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to simmer so that the water is barely moving. Cover the pot and cook for 1- 1/2 hours.
- Meanwhile make the meatballs. In a small bowl combine the breadcrumbs with the milk and set aside. In a medium bowl add the veal or chuck, egg, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper and the soaked breadcrumbs. Make meatballs the size of marbles.
- Grease a rimmed baking sheet with the olive oil and place the meatballs on the sheet as you make them.
- Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer the meatballs to a bowl and refrigerate them. These can be made three days ahead.
- Remove the chicken wings from the pot and set aside on a cutting board. Strain the broth through a sieve, pressing on the vegetables to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids and return the broth to the pot. Bring to a boil and stir in the escarole. Cook 3 to 4 minutes just until the escarole wilts. Add the meatballs to the broth.
- Remove the meat from the chicken wings and add it to the broth. Correct the seasoning and add grated Pecorino cheese on top. Serve hot.
Comments
No comments on this recipe.