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Deep bowl of minestra maritata napoletana with pork ribs, sausage, beef, and bitter greens in amber broth

Minestra Maritata Napoletana (Neapolitan Wedding Soup)

A traditional Neapolitan broth-based soup with three cuts of pork and beef, bitter winter greens, and a slow simmer that builds a deeply flavored stock.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 490
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Meats
  • 500 g bone-in pork spare ribs cut into individual ribs
  • 400 g beef shank cross-cut bone in
  • 300 g Neapolitan-style fresh pork sausage or any coarse Italian pork sausage
  • 150 g pork skin (cotica) optional, rinsed and rolled tightly, tied with kitchen twine
Greens
  • 400 g escarole (scarola) outer leaves removed, roughly chopped
  • 300 g chicory or dandelion greens (cicoria) roughly chopped
  • 200 g cavolo nero or savoy cabbage stems removed, sliced into strips
Broth and aromatics
  • 2.5 liters cold water
  • 2 celery stalks halved
  • 1 medium carrot halved
  • 1 white onion halved
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 1 piece (about 5 cm) Parmigiano-Reggiano rind optional but recommended
  • to taste fine sea salt added after 1 hour of simmering
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil for finishing, plus more for browning sausage

Method
 

Brown the sausage
  1. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in the stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the whole sausages and brown on all sides for about 4 minutes until the casings are golden. Remove and set aside. Do not cook through at this stage.
  2. Keep any fat in the pot.
Build the broth
  1. Add the pork ribs, beef shank, and pork skin (if using) to the pot. Pour in 2.5 liters of cold water. The cold start draws impurities out slowly for a cleaner broth.
  2. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. As soon as grey foam rises to the surface, skim it off with a large spoon. Repeat for 15 to 20 minutes until the foam subsides.
  3. Add the celery, carrot, onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, and Parmigiano rind. Lower heat to a bare tremble. The surface should barely move.
  4. Add the browned sausages back to the pot. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour.
Blanch the greens
  1. While the broth simmers, bring a separate large pot of salted water to the boil. Blanch the escarole for 4 minutes, then lift out with a slotted spoon and set aside in a colander.
  2. Blanch the chicory for 3 minutes, then lift out. Blanch the cavolo nero for 5 minutes, then lift out. Gently squeeze excess water from all the greens.
Season and finish
  1. After 1 hour of simmering, taste the broth and season with sea salt. Continue simmering the meats for a further 30 minutes.
  2. Lift out the vegetables, bay leaves, peppercorns, and Parmigiano rind with a slotted spoon and discard. Remove the meats to a board. Slice the beef shank off the bone. Cut the sausage into thick rounds. Keep the ribs whole.
  3. Add the blanched greens to the broth. Return all the meat to the pot. Simmer everything together for 30 minutes until the greens are tender and the broth tastes fully integrated.
  4. Turn off the heat and rest the soup for 15 minutes. Taste once more for salt. Ladle into deep bowls, making sure each portion has all three meats and a good amount of greens. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil and grated Parmigiano if desired.

Notes

For a cleaner broth, strain it through a fine-mesh sieve after removing the aromatics and before adding the greens. This step is optional but gives a more refined result.