Pappa al Pomodoro

5 from 7 votes

This versatile Italian soup is delicious at any temperature: hot, room temperature, or cold.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Resting Time20

Total Time55

Course: Main Course, Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: comfort food, date night, easy

Servings: people

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
2 medium garlic cloves finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion or 2 medium leeks, finely chopped
2 cups chicken stock beef stock, or vegetable stock
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with juice (recipe note #1)
6 ounces rustic bread day-old or fresh, crust removed and torn into 1-inch pieces
large handful fresh basil leaves torn small, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat olive oil a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and onion; cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes (add a pinch of salt if you like to help sweat the onions). Stir in stock and tomatoes; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Turn off heat and stir in torn bread and basil leaves, pressing bread into liquid with a spoon to fully saturate. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let stand 20 minutes.
Stir or whisk soup vigorously until it has a porridge-like consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Ladle into 4 soup bowls and drizzle generously with olive oil. Garnish with fresh basil if desired and serve.

You can also use whole canned tomatoes that you crush into the soup. Fresh ripe tomatoes are an excellent option too, but you'll want to peel them. Here is a simple way to do so.
Serve this soup hot, at room temperature, or cold, straight from the refrigerator. Just don't forget to drizzle with olive oil before serving!

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