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As in many cultures, to an Italian, “zuppe e minestre” (soups) is comfort food. It is difficult not to feel better after enjoying a large, filling bowl of soup. An old saying in Italy is that “la zuppa fa sette cose” (soup does seven things), it is said to: quench your thirst , satisfy your hunger, fill your stomach, aid in your digestion, make your teeth sparkle, color your cheeks and help you sleep.
A clue to its very importance in Italian cuisine is reflected in the many different names given to different types of soup. In general, a minestra is a soup containing either rice or pasta along with vegetables and possibly beans. A minestrina is a lighter broth soup, with just a little pasta or rice added, while minestrone would be a much heartier, thick soup. Zuppa is different from all these other soups as it has bread added, either to thicken or as a condiment, and can be prepared with fish such as “zuppa di pesce” or meat such as “spezzatino”, or beans such as “zuppa di fagioli”.
Italians usually will eat soup as a first course instead of pasta or rice or as a light evening meal if the large meal of the day was at lunch. Italian soups  reflect the imagination and simplicity that runs through all Italian cooking. Every soup is usually made from scratch with fresh ingredients or leftover meats and vegetables from a previous meal. A soup can be as simple as a vegetable or two cooked in broth with a little rice or pasta added or can be a complex multi-step procedure, such as one containing homemade stuffed pastas in a fragrant meat broth. Grated Parmigiano cheese is usually served on the lighter broth based soups, while a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil is used on thicker, heartier soups. Many Italian soups are typically served just warm or at room temperature to allow the flavors to meld, as it is thought the true flavor is lost when serving it very hot.
There are regional differences found in Italian soup recipes just as there are in other categories of food. In the north, Emilia-Romagna in particular, stuffed pasta such as “cappelletti” or “tortellini” is served in a flavorful homemade meat broth. The soups in Tuscany and Umbria are more typical of old country recipes and are heartier with beans, grains and bread used to fortify them such as “ribollita”, or “pappa al pomodoro”. In the south, Sicily, Apulia in particular thick “minestrone”, or “zuppa di lenticchie, di fagioli, di ceci” (lentil soups, white beans soups, cheak-peas soups) or “purč di fave” (dried fave beans pure), are common.
While in the mountains heavy, rich, full flavored soups, often fortified with bread and cheese can be found.
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