Spleen Soup - Italy

Zuppa di Milza, or Spleen Soup, is a traditional Sicilian dish, particularly famous in Palermo. It features beef or veal spleen, often combined with lung and heart, slow-cooked in a rich tomato sauce with onions, garlic, and herbs like bay leaf and parsley. It's a hearty, rustic soup often served as a street food or in local trattorias.

🍽️ Nutrition at a glance

This dish is very high in protein and fat, with minimal carbohydrates coming from the tomato and vegetable base. It is an exceptionally rich source of iron, vitamin B12, and other B vitamins, providing a substantial calorie load, typically between 400-600 kcal per generous serving.

Nutrition breakdown

Calories	520 kcal
Protein	38 g
Carbs	12 g
Fat	34 g
Fiber	3 g
Sugar	6 g
Sodium	890 mg
Iron	8.5 mg
Vitamin B12	42 µg
Zinc	6.2 mg
Selenium	45 µg
Phosphorus	420 mg
Copper	1.8 mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	2.1 mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin)	12 mg

Per 1.5 cups (360 g) · estimated, varies by recipe

💡 What's interesting

Culturally, it's a prime example of Italian cucina povera (peasant cooking), utilizing offal to create a nutritious and flavorful meal. Nutritionally, its organ meat base makes it a potent source of heme iron, which is more easily absorbed by the body than plant-based iron.