27 February 2013 | 20 Comments

Minestra di riso e cicoria (Chicory and Rice Soup)

Chicory (cicoria in Italian) is one of my very favorite greens. It brings back memories of Angelina for whom cicoria and escarole were almost daily staples. Maybe that’s why she lived well into her 90s… A great weeknight dinner option, the recipe for this soup is very fast, very simple and very healthy. (If you omit the cheese at the end, it’s entirely vegan.)

Ingredients

Serves 4-6 people

2 heads of chicory
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly crushed
Olive oil, preferably of the dark green ‘fruity’ kind
200g (7 oz) of rice
Salt and pepper
Grated pecorino romano cheese for topping (optional)

Directions

You trim and cut up the chicory (or just the green parts–see Notes below) into smallish pieces, throw it into some well salted boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes or so.

You then transfer the chicory (use a slotted spoon, as you’ll need the “broth” for later) into a pan in which you will have sautéed the garlic in olive oil. Let the chicory insaporire—absorb the flavors of the seasoned oil—for a minute or two, then add a few ladlefuls of the chicory ‘broth’ until you have the quantity of soup you like.

Add rice and allow to simmer until the rice and chicory are tender. (If you have some cooked rice on hand, just add it at the very end, as when I made this soup, using some leftover white rice from a Chinese restaurant).

Serve in deep soup plates and top with pecorino cheese, freshly ground pepper and un filo d’olio–a drizzle of olive oil.

Notes

Variations: You can add potatoes in addition to, or instead of, the rice. You can also substitute soup pasta for the rice. For a softer taste, use chopped onion instead of (or in addition to) the garlic. You can add hot red pepper in addition to garlic to the oil as well if you want a little ‘heat’. And you can use butter instead of (or in addition to) the olive oil. For a richer dish, use chicken broth instead of the chicory broth. If you omit the rice, etc. altogether, and instead add some beaten egg mixed pecorino, you’ll have another favorite soup, cicoria cacio e uova.

Other ways to make chicory: Chicory is a versatile vegetable. Without the addition of broth, the recipe above becomes a great side dish. It goes very well with fava beans, as well. Chicory makes for a quick and tasty condimento for pasta. The white ‘heart’ of the cicoria is also a wonderful salad green, either as part of a mixed salad or–my favorite–as a substitute for punterelle, a special kind of chicory grown around Rome that is dressed with a very particular salsina made as follows: in a mortar and pestle, crush garlic, anchovy fillets and a bit of salt together until they make a paste, then add olive oil, a bit of vinegar and lots of freshly ground pepper. (NB: This is the only instance that I know of in Italian cooking that a salad dressing is made separately from the salad–the exception that proves the rule, I guess.) Served with some crusty bread and cold white wine, this salad is so satisfying, it’s a meal in itself!

Fave e cicoria (Chicory with Fava Beans)
Pasta con la cicoria (Pasta with Chicory)
Pasta e fagioli (Pasta and Cannellini Beans)
Zucchine cacio e uova (Zucchini with Egg and Cheese Sauce)
Mock Puntarelle Salad
Minestra maritata (The Original “Wedding Soup”) (memoriediangelina.com)

Tags: cheap, Chicory, Nana, vegetable

Categories: primi piatti, Risotto and Other Rice Dishes, Soups

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20 Comments on “Minestra di riso e cicoria (Chicory and Rice Soup)”

Reply

Sally

9 March 2013 at 14:06 #

Sounds delicious and reminds me of this: http://www.thewednesdaychef.com/the_wednesday_chef/2013/02/marcella-hazans-broccoli-and-pasta-soup.html
Reply

duespaghetti

3 March 2013 at 15:59 #

Stefano’s Nonna Pierina had hardly even left her native Lazio when she came to visit in the U.S.. We still laugh at the memory of her exclaiming in awe, “Ma guarda la cicoria!” when she noticed the pesky dandelions growing in people’s yards. We’ve had greens on our mind lately, and this looks delicious – the potato version has me hooked. But do tell – can you find cicoria out east? Sadly, it’s not available here.
Reply

Chiara

3 March 2013 at 10:07 #

E’ sempre un piacere passare da te, anche questa volta hai proposto un piatto che sa di famiglia ,di affetti, di tradizione…Grazie !
- Reply
  
  Frank Fariello
  
  3 March 2013 at 15:13 #
  
  Grazie, Chiara, altrettanto!
Reply

tasteblog

1 March 2013 at 10:44 #

Frank! I love this, so simple and green!
Looks so pretty in your colorful soup bowl.
LL
- Reply
  
  Frank Fariello
  
  3 March 2013 at 15:14 #
  
  Thanks, Lori!
Reply

vittorio Orsi

28 February 2013 at 09:56 #

Frank, Grazie e grazie tante, sarebbe bello ricevere un menu diario, capisco la difficolta´e mi contento di quello che ci mandi, ci fai ricordare ogni volta quanto e´bella ed importante la nostra cucina Italiana, non importa la regione.
Un abbraccio e tante belle cose.
Vittorio Orsi
- Reply
  
  Frank Fariello
  
  3 March 2013 at 15:19 #
  
  Grazie a te, Vittorio! Magari io potessi scrivere ogni giorno, sarebbe bello anche per me. Ma sai, in settimana il lavoro non lascia tempo per nient’altro!
Reply

Nuts about food

28 February 2013 at 04:27 #

So perfect on these chilly winter eves… and who doesn’t want to live until they are 90?
- Reply
  
  Frank Fariello
  
  28 February 2013 at 08:02 #
  
  I know I do!
Reply

Alain

6 May 2012 at 15:08 #

These promise to be delicious. Thanks!

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

Chicorée Leroux rewarded for its innovation | World Of Innovations - 18 April 2013
[...] Minestra di riso e cicoria (Chicory and Rice Soup) (memoriediangelina.com) [...]
Minestra di riso e cicoria - Chicory and Rice Soup | As You Want Dishes | Scoop.it - 2 March 2013
[...] Chicory (cicoria in Italian) is one of my very favorite greens. It brings back memories of Angelina for whomcicoria and escarole were almost daily staples. Maybe that’s why she lived well into her 90s… A great weeknight dinner option, the recipe for this soup is very fast, very simple and very healthy. (If you omit the cheese at the end, it’s entirely vegan.)IngredientsServes 4-6 people2 heads of chicory2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly crushedOlive oil, preferably of the dark green ‘fruity’ kind200g (7 oz) of riceSalt and pepperGrated pecorino romano cheese for topping (optional)DirectionsYou trim and cut up the chicory (or just the green parts–see Notes below) into smallish pieces, throw it into some well salted boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes or so.You then transfer the chicory (use a slotted spoon, as you’ll need the “broth” for later) into a pan in which you will have sautéed the garlic in olive oil. Let the chicory insaporire—absorb the flavors of the seasoned oil—for a minute or two, then add a few ladlefuls of the chicory ‘broth’ until you have the quantity of soup you like.Add rice and allow to simmer until the rice and chicory are tender. (If you have some cooked rice on hand, just add it at the very end, as when I made this soup, using some leftover white rice from a Chinese restaurant).Serve in deep soup plates and top with pecorino cheese, freshly ground pepper and un filo d’olio–a drizzle of olive oil.Notes [...]
Minestra di riso e cicoria - Chicory and Rice Soup | La Cucina Italiana - De Italiaanse Keuken - The Italian Kitchen | Scoop.it - 1 March 2013
[...] Chicory (cicoria in Italian) is one of my very favorite greens. It brings back memories of Angelina for whomcicoria and escarole were almost daily staples. Maybe that’s why she lived well into her 90s… A great weeknight dinner option, the recipe for this soup is very fast, very simple and very healthy. (If you omit the cheese at the end, it’s entirely vegan.)IngredientsServes 4-6 people2 heads of chicory2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly crushedOlive oil, preferably of the dark green ‘fruity’ kind200g (7 oz) of riceSalt and pepperGrated pecorino romano cheese for topping (optional)DirectionsYou trim and cut up the chicory (or just the green parts–see Notes below) into smallish pieces, throw it into some well salted boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes or so.You then transfer the chicory (use a slotted spoon, as you’ll need the “broth” for later) into a pan in which you will have sautéed the garlic in olive oil. Let the chicory insaporire—absorb the flavors of the seasoned oil—for a minute or two, then add a few ladlefuls of the chicory ‘broth’ until you have the quantity of soup you like.Add rice and allow to simmer until the rice and chicory are tender. (If you have some cooked rice on hand, just add it at the very end, as when I made this soup, using some leftover white rice from a Chinese restaurant).Serve in deep soup plates and top with pecorino cheese, freshly ground pepper and un filo d’olio–a drizzle of olive oil.Notes [...]
Minestra di riso e cicoria – Chicory and Rice Soup | goodthingsfromitaly - 1 March 2013
[...] See on memoriediangelina.com [...]
Minestra di riso e cicoria - Chicory and Rice Soup | BEAUTY ART | Scoop.it - 1 March 2013
[...] Chicory (cicoria in Italian) is one of my very favorite greens. It brings back memories of Angelina for whomcicoria and escarole were almost daily staples. Maybe that’s why she lived well into her 90s… A great weeknight dinner option, the recipe for this soup is very fast, very simple and very healthy. (If you omit the cheese at the end, it’s entirely vegan.)IngredientsServes 4-6 people2 heads of chicory2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and slightly crushedOlive oil, preferably of the dark green ‘fruity’ kind200g (7 oz) of riceSalt and pepperGrated pecorino romano cheese for topping (optional)DirectionsYou trim and cut up the chicory (or just the green parts–see Notes below) into smallish pieces, throw it into some well salted boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes or so.You then transfer the chicory (use a slotted spoon, as you’ll need the “broth” for later) into a pan in which you will have sautéed the garlic in olive oil. Let the chicory insaporire—absorb the flavors of the seasoned oil—for a minute or two, then add a few ladlefuls of the chicory ‘broth’ until you have the quantity of soup you like.Add rice and allow to simmer until the rice and chicory are tender. (If you have some cooked rice on hand, just add it at the very end, as when I made this soup, using some leftover white rice from a Chinese restaurant).Serve in deep soup plates and top with pecorino cheese, freshly ground pepper and un filo d’olio–a drizzle of olive oil.Notes [...]
Tubetti cacio e uova (Tubetti with Egg and Cheese) | Memorie di Angelina - 30 January 2013
[...] or lasagna di carnevale, and it is used as a kind of condiment or vegetables like zucchini, chicory or peas. It is also added, as a final florish, to lamb or capretto (baby goat) stew. Here it [...]
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[...] pasta or rice, and includes such classics and pasta e fagioli, quadrucci con piselli, pasta e ceci, minestra di riso e cicoria, stracciatella alla romana. Most people are familiar with minestroni, but perhaps fewer understand [...]
Mock «puntarelle» alla romana | Memorie di Angelina - 19 January 2013
[...] when cooked they lose their bitterness and develop a wonderful, mild flavor in soups such as minestra di riso e cicoria or blanched and then sauteed with garlic and olive oil, a technique known as ripassare in [...]
Zucchine cacio e uova | Memorie di Angelina - 18 January 2013
[...] more, just long enough for the eggs to set. (Very much like cicoria cacio e uova (see my post on minestra di riso e cicoria) This may be the Swiss army knife of vegetable [...]