Name: Tuscan Tomato and Bread Soup
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 6 ounces rustic Italian bread , crusts removed, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups); ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil , plus extra for serving; 1 red onion , chopped fine; Salt and pepper; 3 garlic cloves , minced; ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes; 6 cups chicken broth; 2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes , drained and chopped coarse; ½ cup chopped fresh basil; Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

Why This Recipe Works

The bread is baked once a week and enjoyed throughout the day, every day. Religious themes, in addition to a basic desire not to waste, inspired the creation of many Tuscan recipes using bread, including soup. On paper, pappa al pomodoro is a tomato-bread soup finished with basil; but in the pot, the ingredients meld to form a fragrant porridge-like stew that's downright luxurious. At its best, it displays the tangy-sweet flavor of tomatoes, which become elevated with a swirl of olive oil. We knew that picking the right type of tomato and processing it properly would be key. We tested every manner of canned tomatoes and pureed them, but this resulted in an acidic slurry that was just too tomatoey. However, fresh tomatoes were wan if not perfectly ripe. For an all-season soup, we returned to canned; as it turned out, it wasn't the tomatoes but our handling of them that was giving us inferior results. Chopping canned whole tomatoes (which we liked for their sweetness), rather than pureeing them, worked much better, giving us a soup with a balanced profile and texture.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 225 degrees. Arrange bread in single layer on rimmed baking sheet and bake, stirring occasionally, until dry and crisp, about 40 minutes.

Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and tomatoes and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until tomatoes are softened, about 20 minutes.

Stir in bread, pressing on cubes to submerge in liquid. Cover and cook until bread is softened, about 15 minutes. Off heat, whisk soup vigorously until bread is completely broken down and soup is thickened. Stir in basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle individual portions with extra oil and serve, passing Parmigiano separately.