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Acquacotta maremmana
Acquacotta: the Maremma's 'cooked water' vegetable soup with a poached egg on bread
Acquacotta, literally 'cooked water', is what the butteri, the cattle herders of the Tuscan Maremma, and charcoal burners made from whatever they carried: onions, a few vegetables, stale bread and, on a good day, an egg. Around Grosseto and the hills of Monte Amiata it is still a family supper in autumn and spring, ladled over toasted bread with an egg poached right in the soup. Slow-cooked onion makes it sweet and deep, the egg yolk runs into the broth and the bread turns soft and spoonable. Chef's tip: give the onions a full 20 minutes; the soup is only as good as their sweetness.
- Total time
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the soup
To serve
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Warm 5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil in a wide, deep pan over a low heat. Add 3 red onions, 2 celery sticks and 1 carrot with a pinch of the salt and cook slowly, stirring now and then, for 20 minutes until the onions are soft and golden.
20 minStep 2: Add 1 pinch dried chilli flakes and 14 oz ripe tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, until they break down.
5 minStep 3: Pour in 4 ¼ cups hot water or light vegetable stock, add 7 oz Swiss chard or other leafy greens and the rest of 1 tsp salt and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Tear in 6 leaves fresh basil.
10 minStep 4: Toast 4 slices stale Tuscan bread until crisp and put a slice in each warm soup bowl.
Step 5: Keep the soup at a bare simmer and crack 4 eggs in one at a time, spaced apart. Cover and cook for 3–4 minutes, until the whites are set and the yolks still soft. Common mistake: a rolling boil; the eggs break up into rags.
4 minStep 6: Lift one egg onto each slice of bread with a ladle, pour the soup around and finish with 1 ⅜ oz Pecorino Toscano.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 33 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does acquacotta maremmana take?
- About 55 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of extra-virgin olive oil?
- Vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil, same amount (for cooking; keep olive oil for dressings if you have a little).
- What can I use instead of red onions?
- White onion or shallots, same amount (soak raw onion in cold water for 10 minutes to soften it).
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