Wedding Soup?  Well, not exactly.

In the northeast United States, Wedding Soup is on the menu of many “Italian” restaurants.   It evolved from a dish with origins in the Campania region of Italy.  It is called Minestra Maritata (Married Soup) because meat and greens marry well in this soup, not because it is a soup served at Italian weddings.

The version below isn’t identical to the soup you’d find in Campania.  But, the ingredients are easy to find, it’s simple, and great with a nice hunk of crusty bread.

Ingredients:

Several ½ lb chicken breasts

½ cup mixture of finely chopped carrots and celery

1 clove garlic

Salt and pepper

A drizzle of olive oil

1 small zucchini chopped into ¼ inch pieces

½ lb ground beef

1 cup fresh spinach

½ cup Pastina or acini di pepe

Grating cheese

Step 1:

Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil into a stock pot.  Heat the oil to medium temperature.  Add the mixture of chopped carrots and celery.  Allow it to simmer for several minutes, but make sure it doesn’t brown.  Then add about ¾ gallon of water and the chicken breasts.  Turn the heat up to a high temperature.  Once the water comes to a boil, turn the heat down, until it is at a slow boil.  Add 1 clove of crushed garlic, the chopped zucchini, and 1 tbs of salt.

Step 2:

Roll about a teaspoon’s worth of ground beef in your hands, forming small meatballs.  Then, heat a nonstick pan to a medium temperature.  Drizzle a small amount of olive oil in the pan.  Next, add the meatballs.  Sauté them for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’re lightly browned and fully cooked.  Turn off the burner, drain any excess grease, and set the meatballs aside.

Step 3:

After about 20-30 minutes at a low boil, the chicken should be cooked.  It can be removed from the soup at this time.  Once, it has cooled (or using a knife and tongs) cut it into bite size pieces.  Then, return the chicken to the soup.

Step 4:

Cook and drain ¼ cup of pastina or acini di pepe (more if desired).  Add it to the soup.

Step 5:

Finally, combine the meatballs and spinach into the soup.  (Fresh spinach needs very few minutes to cook.)  Add salt, pepper, and grated cheese to taste.

Buon appetito! 

Ciao.  Just about anyone who has heard of Italy, at least knows the word ciao.  But, what does ciao really mean, and where did it come from?  The response may just surprise you.

Ciao actually is derived from the Italian expression "schiavo suo", which translates to your slave.  In Venezia, it was once a sign of respect to greet others by saying, "schiavo" (pronounced s-ciao).  However, the Venetians said this to mean "at your service" or "your servant."

Eventually, this greeting evolved to ciao, as it diffused throughout Italy and abroad.