Scarface’s Soup

Delicious and homey, this is one of those soups where you can feel free to change the quantities of ingredients and add what you have or like

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City/Region: United States of America | Italy

Time Period: 1917

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Bootlegger, murderer, tax evader, modern day Robin Hood? Al Capone was not a nice guy, but he did do some nice things, like opening a soup kitchen during the Great Depression, serving three thousand people on the first day. Soup and bread was served for lunch and dinner, probably something much like this soup/stew, a pretty classic vegetable and meat number with tomatoes and a touch of mint.

“Take two pounds of beef stew; into a sauce pan put three tablespoonfuls olive oil, half onion, two cloves of garlic, three leaves mint, three sprays parsley, one spray rose-mary, one spray thime; chop all together fine; put to fry with meat in olive oil, stirring until nicely browned; then add two cans tomatoes, cook ten minutes, then add four cups water; stew slowly half hour; add six potatoes cut in quarters; cook until potatoes are done (delicious). Sauce may be used over No. 25 Cannaroni or No. 26 Rigatoni with grated Roman cheese on top.”

— Economical Italian Cook Book by Jack Cusimano, 1917

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Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 leaves mint
• 3 sprigs parsley
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 sprig thyme
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
• 2 lbs (1 kg) beef stew meat
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 lbs, 6 oz (about 1 kg) canned diced tomatoes
• 4 cups water
• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” pieces
• 1 lb box rigatoni, optional
• Pecorino Romano for serving, optional

Instructions:

1. Finely chop the onion, garlic, mint, parsley, rosemary, and thyme and mix them together.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot and add the chopped aromatics and the stew meat.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is nicely browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Add the tomatoes and bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
5. Add the water and bring back to a simmer and cover with a lid. Cook for 30 minutes.
6. Add potatoes. Cook until potatoes are done to your liking, I cooked mine for 20 to 30 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, cook the rigatoni, if using, according to the package’s instructions and drain.
8. Dish rigatoni into a bowl, ladle the soup over it, and top with freshly grated Pecorino Romano. Serve it forth, with bread if desired.

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