In Naples, especially around Christmas and Easter, you’ll find the traditional zuppa maritata (wedding soup), in which different kinds of vegetables and meat are combined in the pot. Like any recipe from popular cuisine, there is no single version; each family has its own, and even the name differs depending on the family. The variations also depend on which vegetables are in season. The important thing is to find the right balance between the flavors of the different ingredients. That’s the secret to the art of cooking maritata soup.
The original recipe was linked more to hunger than anything else. It was made with whatever vegetables were around, along with various meat scraps. The result was a slightly oily but very nutritious soup. The current version calls for the use of leaner meats and vegetables that are easy to find, except for the torzella (curly kale), which is almost exclusively grown in Campania. Cooking zuppa maritata is not complicated, but it requires a lot of time and patience, especially with regard to the vegetables, which must be prepared individually. That’s why it’s increasingly difficult to find it in homes and restaurants in Naples, even if it’s still one of the typical holidays dishes.
The traditional recipe
Ingredients for 10 servings
Vegetables: 2 escaroles, 1 frisée, 1 green cabbage, 1 savoy cabbage, 1 lb Tuscan kale, 1 lb chicory, 14 oz chard, 11 oz borage, 11 oz torzella curly kale
For the broth: 2 lb 3 oz beef, 2 lb 3 oz soup chicken, 1 lb 6 oz Neapolitan sausages, 8 ribs (optional), 1 prosciutto bone (optional), 3 ribs celery, 2 carrots, 2 white onions, 2 bay leaves, 8.5 qts water
How to make zuppa maritata
Start with the broth: Clean the chicken of its entrails, cut it in half and rinse it under running water. Dice the beef. Wash the celery and cut each rib into two parts, wash and peel the carrots and onions. Put the chicken and beef in the pot with plenty of water, add the vegetables, sausages, ribs and prosciutto bone.
Bring to a boil and leave on the stove over low heat for at least four hours. Froth the fat from time to time and remove the impurities that rise up to the surface. Meanwhile, clean the other vegetables, parboil them separately in salted water and then cool them in water and ice.
Once the broth is ready, remove the meat and strain it into another pan with a narrow mesh strainer covered with a cotton cloth. Then bone the chicken and cut the sausages into slices. At this point you can finally combine the vegetables and the various types of meat in the pot with the broth, then return it to a boil. Zuppa maritata soup should be served steaming hot, having the foresight to put all its elements in each bowl. As a finishing touch, sprinkle with grated Parmigiano cheese.