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Minestra maritata
Greens and pork soup
Minestra maritata: Naples's "married" soup of bitter greens and pork in a rich broth
Minestra maritata, "married soup", gets its name from the happy marriage of greens and meat. It is the oldest soup of Naples, eaten at Christmas and Easter: a rich broth made from pork cuts, such as ribs, pork shoulder, sausage, pancetta and a ham bone, in which several bitter winter greens, such as escarole, chicory, savoy cabbage and borage, are simmered until silky. Families make a huge pot to eat over several days. Chef's tip: blanch each green separately first; it takes away the strongest bitterness and stops the broth turning murky.
- Total time
- 250 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the broth
- 1 ⅛ lb pork ribs
- 1 ⅛ lb pork shoulderin one piece
- 3 ½ oz pancettain one piece
- 1 ham bone or ham hockopt
- 1 onionhalved
- 1 carrot
- 16 ¾ cups water
- 1 tsp salt
For the greens
- 1 head escarole
- 10 ½ oz chard or borage
- 1 ⅜ oz pecorino (optional)grated, to serve
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 1 ⅛ lb pork ribs, 1 ⅛ lb pork shoulder, 3 ½ oz pancetta, 1 ham bone or ham hock, if using, 1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 celery stick in a large pot with 16 ¾ cups water. Bring to the boil, skim off any foam, and simmer gently for 2½ hours, until the meat is very tender. Add 4 pork sausages for the last 30 minutes. Common mistake: boiling hard; the broth turns cloudy and greasy.
150 minStep 2: Lift out the meat and strain the broth. Skim off most of the fat. Cut the meat into bite-size pieces, discarding bones and the ham bone.
Step 3: Wash 1 head escarole, 14 oz chicory or dandelion greens, ½ savoy cabbage and 10 ½ oz chard or borage and cut into pieces. Blanch each separately in salted boiling water for 3–5 minutes, until wilted, then drain well.
20 minStep 4: Return the broth to the pot, add the greens and the meat and simmer for 30 minutes, until the greens are very soft and the flavours have married. The pork should be piping hot, at least 160°F. Season with 1 tsp salt.
30 minStep 5: Serve hot in deep bowls, with 1 ⅜ oz pecorino, if using. It is even better the next day.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does minestra maritata take?
- About 250 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 210 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of carrot?
- Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
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