Summary

Pappa al Pomodoro is a traditional Tuscan soup made with tomatoes, stale bread, garlic, and olive oil, celebrated for its simplicity and resourcefulness in transforming pantry staples into a hearty meal.

Abstract

The article details the process of making Pappa al Pomodoro, a classic Tuscan bread soup that epitomizes the ingenuity of Italian cuisine by turning basic ingredients like canned tomatoes, yesterday's bread, olive oil, and garlic into a delicious and satisfying dish. The recipe emphasizes the use of high-quality ingredients for the best flavor, suggesting hand-crushed canned tomatoes over fresh ones for convenience without sacrificing taste. The soup's preparation involves sautéing garlic in olive oil, adding the tomatoes, and then mixing in the bread until the desired consistency is achieved. The author shares personal preferences, such as avoiding soaking the bread and using fine sea salt, and suggests adjusting the soup's thickness according to individual taste. The article also warns against using diced tomatoes due to the additive calcium chloride, which prevents them from breaking down during cooking.

Opinions

The author prefers using canned whole peeled tomatoes over fresh tomatoes for ease and flavor.
Diced tomatoes are discouraged for any soup because they won't break down due to added calcium chloride.
Soaking the bread is considered counterproductive as it dilutes the soup's flavor and extends cooking time.
Fine sea salt is recommended over coarse salt to ensure proper dissolution and prevent toothaches.
The author enjoys a thicker consistency for the soup, akin to porridge, but acknowledges that some may prefer it soupier.
Quality ingredients are key to a more appetizing outcome, reflecting the author's belief in the importance of ingredient selection.
The recipe is presented as an honest and rustic dish, reflecting its humble origins and suitability for both weeknight dinners and impromptu guest entertaining.

Pappa al Pomodoro: Tuscan Bread Soup

To make this soup, you’ll need tomatoes, bread, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. The result is superbly delish.

This traditional Tuscan soup is prepared with canned tomatoes, yesterday’s stale bread, a generous glug of olive oil, and a large clove or two of garlic.

It’s a true testament to the resourcefulness of Italian cooking, and, writ large, one of the tastiest ways to stretch a handful of pantry staples into a fulfilling meal.

The steps to make this soup are basic — peel and sauté garlic, add hand-crushed canned tomatoes, then stir in the bread. Cook till homogeneous.

It’s ideal for a weeknight dinner or the last-minute entertaining of houseguests. And while there are fancier variants of Pappa al Pomodoro, such as chef Filippo Saporito’s Pappa al Pomodoro with steam-baked cod, I like to stick to what’s simple.

How to Make Pappa al Pomodoro

Start by tearing up the bread into small chunks. Crush a can of whole peeled tomatoes by hand. Higher-quality ingredients will yield a more appetizing outcome.

You could use fresh tomatoes. Just make sure the tomatoes are ripe and bursting with flavor. They would be a lot more work, however, as you’d have to blanch and peel them first.

Do not use diced tomatoes for this soup (or for any soup, really). As I explained in “35 Ways to Be a Better Cook,” diced tomatoes do not break down, no matter how long you cook them, because of the additive calcium chloride that goes in the can.

For a moment, set the bread and the tomatoes aside.

Peel a couple of garlic cloves.

You could mince the garlic, but you don’t really have to. I tend to crush mine and chop it up into smaller, but still sizeable, pieces. This is, after all, an honest, humble, and rustic soup that was once prepared in the everyman’s and woman’s home. Supper for hardworking folk.

A liberal amount of extra virgin olive oil goes into a pot, followed by garlic. The heat is set to medium until the garlic can be heard and seen sizzling:

As soon as the garlic starts sizzling, be sure to give it a stir, helping infuse the oil with its pungency.

Once the garlic spritzes its fragrant perfume into the air in your kitchen, add the tomatoes, which will bring the temperature of cooking down and interrupt the sautéing process:

A dash of vinegar can bring out the tomatoes’ sweetness. Lastly, add the bread. Season with salt. I like heat, so this is where I also sprinkle a bit of crushed chili and crack some black pepper into the pot.

Keep stirring until the soup has reached a consistency to your liking:

Pronto!

And so, with minimal effort, our pappa al pomodoro is done:

Keys to Success

In the past, I would soak the bread. But then, one day, I realized that this was working against me.

Instead of taking in the delicious tastes of the tomatoes, the bread’s starches were soaking up the water, which in turn extended the cooking time of the soup.

Only use fine salt. Since Tuscany has a coastline, sea salt is more or less customary. However, if you use sea salt that’s too coarse, the crystals won’t have time to dissolve, you might enjoy a full stomach but suffer from a toothache.

I like my Pappa al Pomodoro thick, akin to porridge. If you like yours soupier, add water and stop the cooking process when the texture is just right.

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