I don’t know about you, but it’s flipping freezing here. We just had a big winter storm that involved a lot of alternating rain and snow. It’s icy as the Dickens out there! That said, I’m not going to the grocery store for anything, but I still have to make dinner.
I’m a first-generation American on my mom’s side, hailing all the way from Calabria on the southern tip of Italy (the toe of the boot, across the strait from Sicily). This hardscrabble region has a long history of “making do with what you’ve got” in regard to food. In Italy, this is known as cucina povera, which translates into “poor cuisine” but don’t let that fool you. This is the original farm to table movement!
Pappa al pomodoro is one of the staples of cucina povera. Some stale bread, onions, garlic, tomatoes, herbs, stock/water, and olive oil transform into a silky bowl of hearty soup that tastes a lot like a summer day.
We’re big on soup in this house, especially on cold nights. I have a very well stocked pantry and my kitchen windowsill has those little pots of fresh herbs that you can pick up at the grocery store for a few dollars, so we always have a fresh supply of mint and basil. When the plant starts to get too leggy, I pinch off all of the leaves and replace it. I keep the little plastic pots to start my seeds in late winter.
I put up 36 quarts of diced tomatoes last summer, but this soup can be made with diced or crushed tomatoes in a can. You can even use whole canned tomatoes, just squish the tomatoes with your hands before adding them to the pot.
I am a little particular about the bread. Any stale bits of bread will work in this but avoid sandwich bread. You want to use some leftover bakery style bread: ciabatta, baguette, boule, sourdough, Italian bread, etc. Something with some heft! You can make it with fresh bread, but this is an opportunity to use all of those stale bits you may have laying around in your bread box. After you make this once, I’ll bet my peach tree that you’ll be saving bread to make this again.
This is better as it sits and freezes well. If you’re serving it for lunch, add a grilled mozzarella cheese sandwich for a twist on the classic tomato soup and grilled cheese combo.
Buon appetito!
Pappa al Pomodoro
A magical transformation of stale bread and pantry tomatoes
- dutch oven
- potato masher or stick blender
- 2 quarts diced or crushed tomatoes (or 2- 28 oz cans)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 medium onions (diced)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 quart vegetable stock (or chicken stock (or bullion equivalent))
- 3 cups water
- 3 cups chopped stale bread ((sandwich bread is not recommended))
- 3 tbsp chopped basil leaves (divided)
- salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in the Dutch oven until just shimmering.
Add onions to the oil over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until translucent.
Add garlic. Stir until garlic is fragrant; about 30 seconds.
Add one tablespoon of basil. Stir for another 30 seconds.
Stir in the tomatoes, stock, and water. Bring to a boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the bread. Cover the pot and simmer the soup for 30 minutes.
If you'd like smaller pieces of bread, use the potato masher to mash some of the pieces in the pot. If you'd like a less chunky soup, pulse a stick blender in the soup for 2 second intervals.
Stir in the remaining basil leaves. Add salt and pepper to taste.
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