Pappa Al Pomodoro (Tuscan Bread and Tomato Soup)
Ingredients:
| 3 tablespoons | olive oil |
| 1 | small yellow onion, diced |
| 2 cloves | garlic, minced |
| 1 | bay leaf |
| ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes | |
| 2 | lbs tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded and chopped (or 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes) |
| 1/4 pound | day-old Italian bread, torn into 1-inch pieces |
| 2 cups | chicken or vegetable stock, or water |
| 1 cup | loosely packed chopped fresh basil |
| 1/4 cup | mint |
| kosher salt | |
| freshly ground black pepper | |
| 1/4 cup | grated Parmesan cheese |
| 1/4 cup | extra-virgin olive oil |
| holly smith's pappa al pomodoro | |
| 1 loaf | of your favorite artisan bread. a ciabatta or baguette are great choices. |
| 3 to 5 | ripe heirloom tomatoes of your choice |
| 1 tablespoon | freshly minced garlic |
| 1 | small can san marzano tomato -- the exact amount used will depend on the depth of flavor you receive from your fresh tomatoes |
| 3 4 ounces | best quality fruity extra-virgin olive oils, preferably tuscan. (you may need more olive oil, again, it is to your taste.) |
| kosher salt to taste | |
| cayenne to taste | |
| cracked black pepper to garnich/finish | |
| 4 | basil leaves ripped into small pieces to garnish - feel free to use as much as you like. |
Directions:
Grate garlic, heat olive oil - simmer garlic in oil.
Add tomatoes, if fresh simmer until soft - 10 minutes or so, then add stock or water. If canned, add tomatoes and stock or water at the same time. Simmer for 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Adjust seasoning.
Add dried bread, basil, and mint.
Remove from heat and allow to sit for 20 minutes.
Serve with grated parm, and garnish with basil or parsley leaf.
Some recipes drizzle EVOO over the top. Others use EVOO as the base.
Holly Smith's Pappa al Pomodoro
Cut bread in half and rip into small pieces by hand. If the crust is too hard, remove it with a serrated knife and use only the tender center. Ciabatta is nice since it is tender, but still has a caramelized crust for the flavor.
Cut tomatoes in half and squeeze them into bread. Chop the pulp well and add to bread. Add half the garlic now as well as 1 tablespoon kosher salt. The salt will help break down the tomatoes and serve as a primary base of seasoning from which to build.
Work mixture by hand, adding bread if needed or San Marzano tomatoes as needed until you have a rough thick consistency. Taste now for bread/tomato flavor and proportion. Add half olive oil and taste, season with salt and cayenne as needed. *Note that this should be a thick soup, equally representative of the bread, the tomatoes, and the olive oil.
Let the soup sit for an hour, chilling, and then retaste, season and adjust. This would be the time to add remaining garlic, as the first addition should really be showing itself by now. (This is a great way to avoid garlic breath!)
Serve in chilled bowls with fruity extra-virgin olive oil, crusty bread, basil and sea salt on the table for your guests to add as desired.
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