Tuscan Tomato Bread Soup

Ingredients

• 350 g Stale Tuscan bread
• 800 g Ripe tomatoes
• 750 ml Vegetable broth
• 80 ml Extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves Garlic clove
• 1 bunch Basil
• 1 tsp Salt
• 0.5 tsp Black pepper

Steps

1. Score a cross on the base of each tomato, blanch in boiling water for about 1 minute.
2. Drain, slip off the skins, remove the seeds and roughly chop the flesh.
3. In a wide saucepan, gently warm the extra-virgin olive oil over low heat with the halved garlic cloves until the garlic is fragrant and pale gold but not browned, about 2 minutes.
4. Add the chopped tomatoes and a few torn basil leaves, season with salt and pepper, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes until the tomatoes break down into a soft sauce.
5. Cut the stale Tuscan bread into thin slices.
6. Add it to the pan and pour in the hot vegetable broth, stirring to submerge the bread.
7. Cook over low heat for another 10 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon, crushing the bread against the sides until it dissolves into a thick, soft porridge.
8. Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining torn basil.
9. Cover and let the pappa rest for 10 minutes so the flavours settle and the texture thickens.
10. Serve warm or at room temperature, finishing each bowl with a generous drizzle of raw extra-virgin olive oil and a few fresh basil leaves.

Tips

• Use stale, unsalted Tuscan-style bread with a firm crumb; fresh or salted bread turns gluey and masks the tomato.
• Never add cheese to a true pappa al pomodoro — it does not belong; the raw olive oil drizzle at the end is the only enrichment it needs.
• Out of fresh tomatoes, use good-quality whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes and a touch more basil.