Pappa al Pomodoro (5 ingredients)
A cozy, hearty Tuscan style bread soup recipe that has a few our our favorite kitchen hacks going on as well. We’ll employ pre-made garlic bread and a garlicky, herbaceous cheese spread to conjure maximum flavor in almost no time at all.
- Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (plus more for finishing)
- Two 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano (or a 28-ounce can)
- 1/4 cup creamy garlic and herb cheese spread, or to taste (such as Boursin or Alouette)
- 1/4 cup store-bought pesto, or to taste (such as Rana brand; see note)
- 1 loaf store-bought garlic bread (from your grocer’s bakery, if possible)
- A couple handfuls of either fresh basil or arugula
- Salt and pepper, to taste
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Serving Suggestions: Grated/shaved parmesan (totally optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Adjust the rack to the middle position.
- Add the olive oil to a large pot or deep skillet set over medium heat. Add the tomatoes, garlic and herb cheese spread, and pesto – stirring to help melt the spread and pesto into the tomatoes.
- Add about 1.5 cups of water to the pot and stir. Cover and let it simmer over low heat while you prepare the croutons.
- Cut the garlic bread into bite-sized croutons/pieces, about 1-inch in size. You really only need about 5 cups for this soup, so feel free to save the rest of the bread or leave some uncut to enjoy later. Put the croutons on a sheet pan and toast in the oven until golden brown and crunchy (about 6 to 8 minutes). This deep color will act almost like another ingredient, adding flavor to the soup.
- Once toasted, add about half of the croutons to the tomatoes and stir to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and lots of pepper. You can add more water as you see fit here. This soup is VERY thick and hearty, and it’s supposed to be. But you can thin it out however you like.
- Serve in bowls, topped with the remaining croutons, for crunch, a scattering of either fresh arugula or basil, some shaved/grated parmesan cheese, and a nice drizzle of fruity olive oil. Enjoy!
Notes
NOTE: Try making my Creamsicle Caprese as well, another great way to use up the rest of that pesto you bought …