Description
A rustic and comforting dish from Tuscany, this recipe transforms stale bread and ripe tomatoes into a hearty, flavorful dish that is more bread than soup. It’s best served lukewarm to let the simple ingredients shine.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 slices of rustic bread stale
- 4 ripe red organic tomatoes
- sea salt to taste
- red pepper
- extra virgin olive oil to taste
- a few of basil leaves
Instructions
- Peel the tomatoes (if they are mature, the skin comes off easily. Otherwise, blanch for several minutes and cool in ice water to better remove the skin). Remove the seeds, cut into cubes, and place the tomatoes in a pot with water. Simmer the sauce for a few minutes. Add salt and cover the pan.
- Cut the stale rustic bread into cubes and add it to the sauce (this helps it soften during cooking with the tomato).
- Continue to cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until the bread crumbs are almost dissolved. If the stew becomes too dry, add a ladle of water.
- Add some basil leaves and let stand for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Add a generous amount of olive oil, a pinch of red pepper (chili flakes), and serve. This soup is traditionally served lukewarm or at room temperature, and the texture should be more of soft bread than actual soup or stew.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian