Popular Italian Soups: Some of the Best to Try

Minestrone is one of my personal favourites and certainly ranks high on any list of the best Italian soups. It is packed with various vegetables, beans, and pasta, making for a filling and flavorful meal. The combination of different flavours and textures in this soup is truly delicious. I especially love to pair it with a crusty piece of bread for dipping and some crunchy croutons for texture. We also add Parmesan to the top of the soup. Minestrone originates from the Liguria region. If you haven’t tried minestrone before, I highly recommend it! You can try our minestrone recipe here.

If you’re looking for a twist on the classic minestrone recipe, I recommend trying minestra d’orzo, a type of barley soup similar in flavour and texture to minestrone. The soup is also similar to Scotch broth and krupnik, which both contain barley. It is also known as zuppa d’orzo and  Südtiroler Gerstensuppe, as it comes from the Trentino Alto-Adige region, which neighbours the Germanic South Tyrol area. It is typically made with barley, vegetables, and sometimes beans or meat. It’s a great way to mix up your soup routine and try something new! You can try our minestra d’orzo recipe here. Image credit: Sol Octobris, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ribollita is a traditional Tuscan soup similar to minestrone but typically made with bread and kale. The soup is usually made by simmering vegetables like onions, carrots, and celery in a tomato-based broth before adding bread and kale. This hearty soup is perfect for a chilly evening and a great way to use any leftover bread. Give our ribollita recipe a try and see how delicious it can be! Image credit: Joy via Flickr https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Zuppa di verze e patate is a light vegetable soup featuring cabbage and potatoes. Other typical ingredients include carrots, squash, and sometimes pasta. Usually, people serve zuppa di verze e patate with croutons and grated Parmesan. Image credit: Lablascovegmenu from London, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Fagioli con le cotiche is a traditional Tuscan dish with pork rinds and beans. The pork rinds are simmered with garlic, sage, and tomatoes until tender before being added to the cooked beans. This hearty dish is perfect for a cold day and pairs well with crusty bread and a glass of red wine. Image credit: Giacomo Allessandroni Creative Commons License 4.0

Minestra maritata, or Italian wedding soup, is a flavorful and comforting dish featuring meatballs, vegetables, and pasta in a savoury broth. The name “maritata” translates to “married,” referring to the perfect pairing of ingredients in the soup, says Streets of New York. This classic Italian dish is sure to warm you up on a chilly day and is a great way to enjoy a variety of flavours in one bowl. It is a common dish on the menu of Italian restaurants in the United States. Serve with a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese and a slice of crusty bread for a satisfying meal. Buon appetite! Image credit: https://www.pexels.com/creative-commons-images/

Zuppa Imperiale, or Imperial Soup, is a soup with a thin beef broth and cheesy cubes of frittata or baked semolina dough. Various recipes, including a vegetarian version of the famous Italian soup, are available. Zuppa Imperiale is a traditional dish in both Emilia-Romagne and Marche. Image credit: Liz Flynn of Super Souper Ed/ Purple Mermaid Media

Pappa al pomodoro is a delicious Tuscan dish made with bread, tomatoes, garlic, basil, and olive oil. It’s a hearty and comforting tomato soup that is full of flavour and perfect for a chilly evening. It is also possible to eat the dish cold as a refreshing meal during the summer months, similar to gazpacho. Image credit: Catia Giaccherini, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0, via Wikimedia Commons