Bread and tomato soup
4 servings
50 minutes
Bread-tomato soup is a traditional dish of Italian cuisine from the Tuscany region. This cozy rustic soup, known as 'pappa al pomodoro', was originally created to use up yesterday's bread and turn it into a flavorful and hearty dish. Pelati tomatoes along with roasted cherry tomatoes give the soup a rich, sweet taste, while garlic and basil add fresh spicy notes. First-pressed olive oil makes the texture silky and rich. Its thick consistency allows it to be enjoyed not only as a main dish but also as an appetizing snack. It should be served hot, garnished with fresh basil leaves and drizzled with aromatic oil. An ideal choice for cool evenings when warmth and coziness are desired!
1
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (gas mark 4).
2
Clean and finely chop the garlic, then chop the basil leaves and finely chop the stems.
- Garlic: 3 cloves
- Basil: 50 g
3
Skewer cherry tomatoes and place them on a baking tray, sprinkle with one of the chopped garlic cloves and a quarter of basil leaves. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and black pepper, mix and bake for 20 minutes.
- Cherry tomatoes: 500 g
- Garlic: 3 cloves
- Basil: 50 g
- Extra virgin olive oil: 90 ml
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
4
Meanwhile, heat some oil in a large skillet, add the remaining garlic and basil stems, and sauté for 1 minute or until softened.
- Olive oil: 60 ml
- Garlic: 3 cloves
- Basil: 50 g
5
Place the canned tomatoes, breaking them with a spoon, then add 300 ml of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Pelati (whole peeled tomatoes): 800 g
- Stale white bread: 500 g
6
Break some bread into the soup, mix well and season to taste. Tear most of the remaining basil leaves and let the soup steep on low heat for 10 minutes.
- Stale white bread: 500 g
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Basil: 50 g
7
By this time, the cherry tomatoes will be ready. Add them to the soup, remembering to scrape all the juices and stuck pieces from the bottom of the baking tray.
- Cherry tomatoes: 500 g
8
Mix the soup well — it should have a thick, silky porridge-like consistency. Add a little water if necessary.
9
Remove from heat, add extra virgin olive oil and distribute on plates. Serve sprinkled with remaining basil.
- Extra virgin olive oil: 90 ml
- Basil: 50 g