Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics & Base
- 80 ml extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
- 30 g fresh basil, separated
- 1 g chili flakes
Soup Body
- 800 g whole peeled san marzano tomatoes, canned
- 300 g stale tuscan bread, crust removed, torn into chunks
- 800 ml vegetable broth, hot
- kosher salt
- black pepper, freshly cracked
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 428 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbohydrates
- 48 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 10 g
- Sodium
- 1282 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 3 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 15 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Potassium
- 654 mg
- Calcium
- 128 mg
- Iron
- 3.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 50 mg
- Phosphorus
- 137 mg
- Zinc
- 1.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 136 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 31 mg
- Vitamin E
- 4.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 62 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.3 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.56 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.31 mg
- Niacin
- 4.9 mg
- Folate
- 112 mcg
- Water
- 422 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Prepare the bread by removing the darkest crusts and tearing the crumb into rough 3cm (1 inch) chunks. If the bread is not sufficiently stale, dry the chunks in a 150°C/300°F oven for 10-15 minutes until hard but not browned.
In a heavy pot over medium heat, warm half the olive oil (40ml). Add the smashed garlic cloves and basil stems (whole). Sauté gently until the garlic is fragrant and lightly golden, but not brown.
Add the hand-crushed tomatoes and their juices to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes to concentrate the flavors. Remove and discard the garlic cloves and basil stems.
Add the stale bread chunks and hot vegetable broth. Stir to combine. The bread should be fully submerged; add a splash more broth or water if necessary.
Simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook until the bread has completely broken down and expanded, absorbing the liquid to form a thick porridge-like consistency.
Remove from heat. Whisk the soup vigorously for 30 seconds to emulsify the remaining oil and bread into a creamy texture. Tear in the fresh basil leaves and season with salt and pepper.
Let the soup rest for at least 15 minutes before serving. It is traditionally served warm or at room temperature, never boiling hot.
Ladle into bowls and finish with a generous drizzle of the remaining high-quality olive oil and extra fresh basil.
Chef's Notes
- The quality of the olive oil is the single most important variable in this dish after the tomatoes. Use a robust, peppery Tuscan oil for the finish.
- Do not use ciabatta with a very high crust-to-crumb ratio unless you remove most of the crust, as the crusts take much longer to break down.
- This dish is arguably better at room temperature during the summer, highlighting the tomato acidity.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Flavors improve overnight. The soup will thicken significantly; loosen with a splash of water when reheating.
Freezer: 2 months — Texture may become slightly grainier upon thawing.
Reheating: Gently warm on the stove over low heat. Do not let it boil vigorously.
Troubleshooting
Soup is gummy or gluey
Cause: Used fresh bread or processed the soup in a blender
Fix: Cannot be fully fixed, but adding a drizzle of oil and texture (like toasted crumbs on top) can distract from the mouthfeel.
Prevention: Use properly stale bread and only whisk by hand; never use a food processor.
Bitter taste
Cause: Garlic burned during the initial sauté
Fix: Cannot be fixed. You must restart the base, though you may be able to save the tomatoes if added later.
Prevention: Watch garlic closely and keep heat medium-low.
Soup is too salty
Cause: Used salted sourdough bread instead of unsalted Tuscan bread without adjusting added salt
Fix: Add more unsalted canned tomatoes or a peeled raw potato to simmer and absorb salt, then remove potato.
Prevention: Taste the bread before adding salt to the pot.
Cultural Context
Pappa al Pomodoro is a prime example of 'cucina povera' (peasant cooking) from Tuscany, designed to utilize leftover unsalted bread (pane sciocco) which goes stale quickly.
