Soup

Mchemsho is a traditional dish from Northern Tanzania consisting of numerous ingredients such as potatoes, green beans, carrots, bananas, tomatoes, cabbage, eggplant, sweet peppers, and a variety of spices. The name of the dish can be translated as something that is boiled. The vegetables are combined with meat or fish in order to make a full meal. In Tanzania, mchemsho is considered a special dish made for special occasions, since it is quite expensive compared to other dishes in the country.

Mchemsho

Menestr&oacute;n is a Peruvian soup that is an adaptation of the famous Italian minestrone. The soup became popular in Peru with the first Italian immigrants, and over time, it was adapted for local palates using a variety of Peruvian ingredients that it doesn't have a lot in common with the Italian classic anymore. The ingredients vary from region to region, but menestr&oacute;n is usually prepared with beef stock, beef, local vegetables such as beans, peas, carrots, cabbage, celery, choclo, and potatoes. Interestingly, there are no tomatoes in menestr&oacute;n. As a replacement for pesto, the Peruvian version contains salsa verde made with a combination of garlic, onions, basil, and spinach, while inside the soup, you will often find chunks of queso fresco. Pasta may also be used in menestr&oacute;n, either penne, rigatoni, or broken spaghetti. It is recommended to serve menestr&oacute;n in big bowls and garnish it with parsley or cilantro.

Menestrón

Italy

Mesciua is a traditional cucina povera soup originating from the Ligurian province of La Spezia. It's made with a combination of chickpeas, pearl barley, cannellini beans, buckwheat, olive oil, bay leaves, sage, and stock. The ingredients are cooked in a pot until they soften up, and the soup is then served with Ligurian olive oil and lots of black pepper. In local dialect, mesciua means mixed or a mixture, referring to the different ingredients used in the soup. It is believed that the soup was invented when there was a scarcity of grains and beans to prepare fagiolata, so port workers and their wives collected spillages from torn food sacks that were being loaded off the ships. Mesciua is especially popular during cold winters.

Mesciua

Indonesia

Mie kangkung is a traditional dish originating from Jakarta. This specialty of Betawi cuisine is usually made with a combination of water spinach (kangkung), bakso meatballs, mushrooms, egg noodles, chicken or beef stock, garlic, tapioca flour, kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), and bean sprouts. Once prepared, this noodle soup is typically garnished with hard-boiled quail eggs, fried shallots, sambal, and a squeeze of kaffir lime juice. Mie kangkung has a few varitions, so it sometimes also contains oyster sauce, hot chili peppers, and shrimp paste. In Jakarta, it can easily be bought from street stall vendors.

Mie kangkung

This comforting chicken soup is a staple in many Vietnamese households. The base of the dish is a nourishing chicken broth that is typically flavored with lemongrass, charred onions, ginger, and fish sauce. The ingredients also include cellophane noodles (b&uacute;n t&agrave;u), shredded chicken, shiitake mushrooms, and bamboo shoots. A bowl of miến g&agrave; is sometimes garnished with sliced scallions, coriander, fried shallots, and fried chicken giblets, while typical accompaniments include lime wedges, fresh herbs, and chili peppers.

Miến gà

Millecosedde (lit. a thousand little things) is a traditional soup or stew originating from Calabria. The soup is made with every type of dried beans that's available, along with chicken stock, onions, carrots, celery, cabbage, and wild mushrooms. The combination is cooked slowly in earthenware pots. Short tubular pasta is cooked in another pot, and it is later mixed with the vegetables. The soup is then dressed with olive oil and topped with grated pecorino cheese.

Millecosedde

Minestra dei morti (lit. soup of the dead) is a classic Italian soup originating from Milan. This hearty soup is made with chickpeas, pork, onions, carrots, celery, sage, rosemary, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. In the past, the recipe called for pig's head, but today it has given way to ribs or bone-in pork loin. The soup is cooked until the meat and the chickpeas are tender. Traditionally, the soup with the chickpeas is eaten as a first course, while the meat is eaten as a second course, served with pickled vegetables on the side. Minestra dei morti is eaten on November 2, All Souls' Day.

Minestra dei morti

Minestra or zuppa di ceci is a comforting Italian dish that uses chickpeas as the key ingredient. Chickpeas are combined with different ingredients that greatly vary depending on the region, season, and tradition, but commonly include meat, fish, and various vegetables. The defining characteristics of the dish are its dense texture and strong flavors concentrated in the broth, achieved with the addition of garlic, rosemary, and olive oil. The soup is often elevated with the addition of pasta such as pappardelle and tagliolini, or crispy bread croutons.

Minestra di ceci

Minestra di farro (also known as zuppa di farro) is an ancient cucina povera winter soup prepared throughout Italy, particularly in the regions of Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio, where farro has been grown for centuries. Farro's nutty flavor and a pleasantly chewy bite make it a perfect addition to soups. In its basic version, minestra di farro consists of pancetta, onions, carrots, celery, meat stock, tomatoes, and farro. The usual seasonings and flavorings include salt, pepper, garlic, and aromatic herbs, while some recipes suggest the addition of dried borlotti beans, soaked overnight and cooked the next day. Cold winter days are a perfect occasion to simmer up a pot of this bone-warmer: it is best enjoyed hot, finished with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and accompanied by a glass of red wine.

Minestra di farro

Minestra di lenticchie e pasta is a traditional soup. It's made with a combination of lentils, tomatoes, ham or bacon, onions, garlic, celery, parsley, basil or mint, seasonings, water, and either pastine or broken spaghetti. The ingredients are cooked in a big pot for about an hour, and the pasta is added to the pot near the end of cooking. This soup is especially popular during winter due to its warming qualities.

Minestra di lenticchie e pasta

Minestra di pane, translated as bread soup, is a traditional Tuscan dish made with day-old stale bread and a mixture of fresh garden vegetables. The recipe has peasant origins (hence the use of varied offerings from the Tuscan soil) and must always incorporate two key ingredients: beans and black cabbage. The original version of minestra di pane uses unsalted pratese bread with an assortment of vegetables such as celery, potatoes, onions, carrots, courgettes, tomato paste, and olive oil. It is served as the first dish and can also be used the next day as a base for a traditional ribollita.

Minestra di pane

Minestra di riso e indivia is a traditional soup. This simple soup is made with a combination of chicken stock, Arborio rice, curly endive, and grated cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano. The stock is brought to a boil over medium heat, and when it starts boiling, rice is added to the pot. A few minutes before the rice becomes al dente, endive is added to the pot and cooked shortly. The soup is served in individual bowls and topped with freshly grated cheese.

Minestra di riso e indivia

Minestra di scarola is a traditional escarole soup originating from Italy. The soup is usually made with a combination of escarole, olive oil, garlic, eggs, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. The escarole is boiled, drained, cut into pieces, and saut&eacute;ed in olive oil with garlic. Once cooked, it's mixed with water or stock, beaten eggs, and grated cheese. The soup is well-stirred and taken off the heat. Minestra di scarola is usually ladled in deep bowls over slices of toasted buttered bread.

Minestra di scarola

Minestra di sedani, also called minestra aquilana di sedani, is a hearty, celery-based soup made with onions, lard, tomatoes, and rice, traditionally prepared in Abruzzo, particularly in the area around Aquila. Once finished, minestra must be thick and dense, and the rice cooked al dente. Before serving, minestra di sedani is generously sprinkled with pecorino cheese, whose strong flavor perfectly rounds this nourishing soup.

Minestra di sedani

Minestra maritata is a traditional soup originating from Naples. In America, it is known as Italian wedding soup, which is quite wrong as the translation of minestra maritata means married soup and refers to the marriage of vegetables and meat, the key ingredients in this soup. In the past, the soup was made with a combination of leftovers cured and fresh meat (typically pork) and leafy greens. Nowadays, it's made with any combination of escarole, torzella (curly kale), chicory, puntarelle, borage, Savoy cabbage, guanciale, ham hocks, lard, pork ribs, beef, pork, and sausages. The ingredients are simmered in a rich broth until tender, and the soup is then served with grated cheese on top, if desired.

Minestra maritata

Minestra spersa is a traditional soup originating from Basilicata. The soup is usually made with a combination of escarole, potatoes, onions, pork, guanciale, pork rinds, garlic, olive oil, and wild herbs such as fennel, rocket, and chicory. The escarole, potatoes, onions, and herbs are simmered in salted water, while the pork, guanciale, and pork rinds are cooked in another pot. Both are mixed together and cooked until the meat becomes tender. Garlic is saut&eacute;ed in olive oil over low heat, and it's then stirred into the soup before serving.

Minestra spersa

Minestra spezzata or Broken soup is a traditional Roman Jewish soup. It's usually made with a combination of spaghetti, tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, parsley, and salt. The chopped onions and crushed garlic are saut&eacute;ed in olive oil, then mixed with the tomatoes that are mashed with a fork while the mixture is simmering. The spaghetti are broken into pieces and added to the soup with some water. The soup is cooked until the spaghetti become al dente, and it should be brothy. Once done, minestra spezzata is ladled into bowls and sprinkled with parsley, then served while still hot.

Minestra spezzata

Minestra sporca (lit. dirty soup) is a traditional soup originating from the Brescia area. It consists of a chicken broth with minced liver, rice, and vegetables such as onions, carrots, and potatoes. The soup is typically served with grated cheese before the main meal &ndash; the famous Brescian skewers with birds (uccelli scappati).

Minestra sporca

One of the very bases of traditional Italian cuisine, minestrone is a thick, chunky soup made with whichever vegetables are in season. Historically, being a poor man's food dating as far back as the year 30 CE, this peasant-style soup was made with a mashed bean or spelt base and leftovers from various contorni (side dishes) and other meals. Today, even though there's not a set recipe for this dish and every region has its own version, the most common ingredients include stock, onions, tomatoes, celery, carrots, and legumes. The vegetables are cut-up and simmered for quite a long time, but they must not turn mushy. Lastly, pasta or rice can be added to round-up this inexpensive, yet filling dish. Depending on the method of cooking, these flavorful soups are divided into two main categories: minestrone a crudo and minestrone col soffritto. While the first version uses raw vegetables and often garlic-flavored olive oil added towards the end of cooking, minestrone col soffritto is made with vegetables which are first saut&eacute;ed in butter, oil, pork fat or lard, together with pancetta (bacon) and pork rind. The perfect comfort food to warm a cold day, minestrone is even better when made in advance and served reheated, as it takes some time for the flavors to fuse and deepen.

Minestrone

Minestrone dauno is the Apulian version of minestrone. The soup is usually made in summer or early autumn with a combination of tomatoes, onions, potatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, basil, parsley, olive oil, and sugar. The tomatoes are sliced and cooked over low heat with onions, sugar, and olive oil. After about ten minutes, potatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, parsley, and basil are added to the pot, and the soup is simmered until everything is tender. Minestrone dauno should be served hot, ideally in a tureen.