Pappa al Pomodoro
A rustic Tuscan bread soup where torn stale bread soaks up a fragrant tomato broth, becoming silky and deeply satisfying. Ready in 20 minutes with just six ingredients.
- Total time
- 20 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 380
- Protein
- 8g
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14 oz) canned crushed tomatoes
- 1.5 cups vegetable broth
- 3 cups stale bread, torn into bite-sized pieces
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- 1
Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil into a large pot and set it over medium heat until the oil shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pot, about 90 seconds.
- 2
Add the minced garlic and stir it constantly for 30 seconds until the kitchen smells strongly of garlic—do not let it turn brown.
- 3
Pour in the crushed tomatoes and 1.5 cups vegetable broth, stirring with a wooden spoon to mix everything together.
- 4
Bring the mixture to a simmer—you'll see small bubbles breaking steadily across the surface. This takes about 3–4 minutes.
- 5
Add the torn bread pieces and stir well so they begin to soak up the tomato broth. The bread will break down and soften.
- 6
Simmer for 8–10 minutes, stirring once every 2 minutes, until the bread has completely softened and the soup is thick and porridge-like.
- 7
Tear the fresh basil leaves by hand into rough pieces and scatter them over the top of the soup just before serving.
- 8
Divide the soup between two bowls and drizzle each with a small amount of olive oil if desired.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot (4–5 quart capacity)
- wooden spoon
- ladle or soup spoon
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