Description

Acquacotta is a traditional Tuscan soup made with simple ingredients like onions, tomatoes, and stale bread, elevated with poached eggs and melted Pecorino cheese for a rich, comforting meal.

Ingredients

Units Scale

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic, peeled
3 stalks of celery, diced
2 onions, peeled and sliced
2 cups (about 500 g) canned peeled tomatoes, mashed with a fork
1 hot chili pepper, chopped
Salt, to taste
8 slices of stale bread
4 eggs
Pecorino cheese, grated

Instructions

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large cast iron pot over medium heat. Add the peeled garlic clove and sauté until golden, about 2 minutes.
Add the diced celery and sliced onions to the pot. Cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent.
Stir in the mashed canned tomatoes and chopped chili pepper. Season with salt to taste.
Reduce the heat to low and let the soup simmer gently for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld together.
In the last 10 minutes of cooking, make small wells in the soup and crack an egg into each well. Cover the pot and let the eggs poach in the simmering soup until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny, about 5-7 minutes.
Place slices of stale bread at the bottom of each serving bowl. Ladle the hot soup over the bread, ensuring each bowl gets an egg.
Top with a generous amount of grated Pecorino cheese and serve immediately.

Notes

Acquacotta is best enjoyed fresh, but it can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat gently on the stove before serving. You can substitute Pecorino with Parmesan if needed. For a vegetarian version, omit the ham bone mentioned in the folk tale. This soup is a great way to use up stale bread and can be adapted with seasonal vegetables.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Category: Soup
Cuisine: Italian

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 350
Sugar: 8
Sodium: 800
Fat: 12
Carbohydrates: 45
Fiber: 5
Protein: 15
Cholesterol: 210