Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato-Bread Soup)

This soup is the definition of Tuscan food, made from great tomatoes that aren’t cooked too long, mixed with old bread, and milled for texture. It’s very Tuscan; you won’t find versions like this in Southern Italy. I like the combination of fresh Roma and canned plum tomatoes, but you can use all fresh if you like; just aim for about 6 1/2 pounds of tomatoes. If you don’t have a food mill, by all means use your food processor, but for a true pappa al pomodoro a mill is key. This soup is all about the texture: the word velvety comes to mind, not because this soup is smooth but because the combination of good tomatoes and stale bread has a mouthfeel that’s rich and satisfying. It’s the most rustic food and yet it doesn’t feel simple or rustic in your mouth.

Recipe from Bottega by Michael Chiarello/Chronicle Books, 2010.

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Ingredients

5 pounds fresh Roma (plum) tomatoes		4 cups diced crustless bread, preferably from a slightly stale country-style loaf
1 28-ounce can peeled whole plum tomatoes		Sea salt, preferably gray salt, and freshly ground black pepper
4 cups extra-virgin olive oil		1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon minced garlic

directions

Total:

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1
Core each tomato (see note below), mark a shallow X in the opposite end, and blanch in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds. Transfer to cold water to cool briefly, then peel the tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half, scoop out the seeds with your fingers, then chop. (I prefer to squish the pulp into a large bowl.) Drain, reserving the liquid in a bowl. Empty the pulp into another bowl. Open the can of tomatoes and drain, adding the liquid to the reserved fresh tomato liquid and the canned tomatoes to the fresh tomato pulp.
2
Heat a large stockpot over medium heat, add 1 cup of the olive oil, and sauté the garlic until golden and aromatic, about 30 seconds. Pay attention because it colors quickly, and dark garlic can be bitter. Pour the tomato liquid into the pan and cook to reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and pulp and cook until they give off their juices, about 30 minutes. Add the bread and cook for 2 more minutes, stirring to break down the bread.
3
To get the best texture, pass the soup through a food mill; don’t expect it to be satin smooth but it should be even in consistency, with no lumps of bread. If you don’t have a food mill, whisk the soup until the bread is broken up and then whir it in a blender. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add the basil. Whisk in the remaining 3 cups olive oil. Divide among warmed soup bowls.

notes

Good tomatoes are like gold at Bottega, and we don’t waste a bit of them. When you core the tomatoes, take out as little flesh as possible. Then, cut a shallow X in the opposite end of the tomato and when it goes into the hot water, the skin will curl into four little corners, making it easier to peel.

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Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato-Bread Soup)

Ingredients

directions

notes