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Pappa al pomodoro
Tomato and bread soup
Florence's thick tomato and bread soup with basil
Pappa al pomodoro is what Florentine grandmothers make in July and August, when tomatoes are almost too ripe and yesterday's unsalted Tuscan bread is going hard. Bread, tomatoes, garlic and basil are cooked together and beaten into a soft, spoonable porridge (pappa means mush, the word for baby food). It is eaten warm, at room temperature or even cold on hot days, never piping hot. Chef's tip: stir it hard with a whisk at the end; it breaks the bread down into a velvety texture without a blender.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves garlicsliced
- 2 ¼ lb very ripe tomatoespeeled and chopped, or two 400 g tins
- 2 ½ cups vegetable stockhot
- 7 oz stale country breadcrusts removed, torn
- ⅞ oz fresh basilleaves
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Warm 3 tablespoons of 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a heavy pan over a low heat. Add 3 cloves garlic and ¼ tsp dried chilli flakes if using and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant and pale gold.
2 minStep 2: Add 2 ¼ lb very ripe tomatoes and 1 tsp salt and simmer over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have broken down.
10 minStep 3: Pour in 2 ½ cups vegetable stock, bring to a simmer and add 7 oz stale country bread and half the ½ oz fresh basil. Cook over a low heat for 15 minutes, stirring often, until the bread has soaked up the liquid.
15 minStep 4: Take off the heat and whisk hard for 1 minute, until thick and smooth with a few soft lumps. It should hold a soft peak on a spoon. Common mistake: making it too thin; this is a pappa, not a broth. Simmer a few minutes more if it is runny.
Step 5: Cover and rest for 30 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, with the rest of ½ oz fresh basil torn on top and the remaining 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil poured over.
30 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pappa al pomodoro take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 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 vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of very ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
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