This warming Winter Pappa al Pomodoro is exactly the recipe for a bone-chilling night
If it’s cold out there, this will definitely make it cozy in the kitchen
There are few dishes on the planet as simply beautiful as from-scratch tomato soup. It’s an absolute joy, and holds a nostalgic place in the hearts of folks near and far. Pappa al Pomodoro is a classic, Italian tomato & bread soup that deserves a permanent position on your kitchen’s weeknight menu. Quick and easy to assemble, this rustic soup is warming in winter, but will be a guaranteed hit year-round.
Winter Pappa al Pomodoro
By Dennis The Prescott
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- ¼ tsp red chili flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¾ cup Spanish onion, finely diced
- 1 tbsp basil stems, finely diced
- 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- Zest of ½ a lemon
- ½ pound stale rustic bread, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2 ½ cups warm vegetable stock, plus more as desired
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- Fresh basil leaves, for serving
Preparation
Heat a 3-quart saucepan over medium-heat and pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When hot, add the chili flakes and garlic and cook for 30 seconds, keeping watch that it doesn’t burn. Stir in the onion and basil stems, season with a pinch of sea salt, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, until the onion has softened. Stir in the tomatoes, lemon zest, and stock, and bring to a simmer.
Stir in the bread. Allow the soup to simmer away, stirring often, until the bread is completely softened and the soup has a creamy, thickened, smooth consistency. (25-30 minutes). If the soup is a tad thick for your liking, add warm stock to reach your desired consistency.
Season with sea salt & pepper to taste, then divide the soup into serving bowls. Top with a drizzle of olive oil, some more freshly cracked black pepper, and fresh basil leaves. Rustic deliciousness.
Dennis The Prescott is a chef, cookbook author, and food photographer based in Moncton, New Brunswick. Prescott has amassed a devoted following of almost 500K social media followers, cooks regularly on National television in the US and Canada, and has traveled the globe with World Vision Canada and WFP, cooking from New York to Nairobi. His National bestselling cookbook, Eat Delicious (William Morrow/HarperCollins) was named one of The Globe & Mail’s best cookbooks of 2017. Find more of Dennis’ recipes at dennistheprescott.com, or on social media at @dennistheprescott.