Name: Minestra maritata
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 4 h 50 min
Cuisine: Italian, Campania
Ingredients: 500 g chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone-in; 400 g pork ribs; 250 g fresh Italian pork sausage; 200 g beef chuck, in large pieces; 1 onion, halved; 1 carrot, halved; 1 celery stalk, halved; 2 bay leaves; 3.2 L cold water; 350 g escarole, trimmed; 300 g chicory or dandelion greens, trimmed; 300 g Swiss chard, trimmed; 300 g Savoy cabbage or torzella, shredded; 50 g Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated, optional at table; 6 g fine sea salt, or to taste after broth reduction; 2 g black pepper, freshly ground

Minestra maritata: wide hero view of the finished traditional dish

Prep50 minutes

Cook3 h 30 min

Total4 h 50 min

Yield6 servings

Jump to recipe ↓

The dish

About Minestra maritata

The name refers to the marriage between meat and vegetables rather than to a wedding dish.

Campanian sources emphasize winter greens such as escarole, chicory, chard, cabbage and the regional torzella, together with pork and poultry or other meats.

A long broth is cooked first, then strained and defatted so the final soup is rich but not greasy.

Blanching greens separately gives better control over bitterness and prevents the broth from becoming muddy.

Technique

Three things that matter

Build a clear broth first. Slow simmering and skimming give depth without clouding or excessive fat.
Blanch greens separately. Each green has a different cooking time and bitterness level.
Marry the components at the end. The final simmer should integrate flavours, not overcook already tender meat and vegetables.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Everything needed to prepare the dish, arranged for fast scanning before cooking.

Meat broth

500 gchicken thighs and drumsticksbone-in
400 gpork ribs
250 gfresh Italian pork sausage
200 gbeef chuckin large pieces
1onionhalved
1carrothalved
1celery stalkhalved
2bay leaves
3.2 Lcold water

Winter greens

350 gescaroletrimmed
300 gchicory or dandelion greenstrimmed
300 gSwiss chardtrimmed
300 gSavoy cabbage or torzellashredded

Finish

50 gParmigiano Reggianofinely grated, optional at table
6 gfine sea saltor to taste after broth reduction
2 gblack pepperfreshly ground

Step by step

Method

Make and clarify the meat broth

Start the broth cold. Place chicken, ribs, beef, onion, carrot, celery and bay in cold water and bring slowly to a bare simmer.
Foam should rise gradually rather than being churned into the liquid.
Skim and simmer gently. Skim impurities, then simmer partially covered about 2½ hours, adding sausage for the final 45 minutes.
The broth should remain at a quiet tremble, never a rolling boil.
Strain and defat. Lift out the meats, strain the broth and cool briefly so excess fat can be spooned from the surface.
The broth should taste concentrated but clean rather than oily.

Prepare the greens and meats

Blanch the greens separately. Cook each type of cleaned green in boiling salted water until just tender, usually 5–10 minutes depending on the leaf.
The stems should be tender but the leaves should still retain structure.
Drain and cut. Drain thoroughly, squeeze only lightly and cut long leaves into manageable pieces.
The greens should be moist but not dripping blanching water.
Trim the cooked meats. Remove bones and excess fat from the chicken, ribs and beef; cut all meats and sausage into bite-size pieces.
Every serving should be able to receive a mixture of meat types.

Marry the soup

Return broth and greens to heat. Bring the defatted broth back to a gentle simmer and add the blanched greens.
The broth should just cover the greens without becoming a thick stew.
Add the meats late. Fold in the cooked meats and simmer gently 10–15 minutes.
The flavours should integrate without the meat shredding apart.
Rest and serve. Season only now, cover off the heat for 20–30 minutes, then reheat gently for serving.
The soup should taste balanced between savoury broth, pork richness and the slight bitterness of the greens.

Practical guidance

Serving

Serve hot but not violently boiling, ensuring each bowl contains several greens and meats.

Make-ahead

The broth can be made a day ahead and chilled; this also makes defatting easier.

Regional greens

Torzella is especially Campanian when available, but a mixture of sturdy winter greens preserves the dish’s logic.

Troubleshooting

Soup is greasy. The broth was not defatted sufficiently; chill and remove the solidified fat before the final assembly.
Greens taste harsh. They were not blanched separately or the chicory proportion is too high.
Meat becomes stringy. The assembled soup was boiled hard after the meat was returned.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1 of 6
Calories: approximately 520 kcal
Carbohydrates: 16 g
Protein: 43 g
Fat: 31 g
Fibre: 6 g
Sodium: 820 mg

Approximate; fat content depends heavily on the meats and how thoroughly the broth is defatted.

Allergens and food safety

Cook poultry and pork completely during the broth stage.

Cool broth rapidly if making ahead and refrigerate below 4°C.

Reheat the finished soup to at least 74°C and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

FAQ

Why is it called “maritata”?

The name refers to the harmonious marriage of meats and vegetables in the finished soup.

Must every listed green be used?

No single household list is universal; the important point is a varied mix of sturdy, slightly bitter winter greens.

Why blanch greens separately?

Separate blanching controls bitterness and prevents the long-cooked meat broth from becoming murky or vegetal.

Final note

What matters most

Result: A clear, rich broth crowded with tender meats and varied winter greens, savoury yet clean rather than greasy.
Key: Cook meat and greens on their own schedules, then let them meet only for the final gentle simmer.