A very simple Italian peasant soup, made with stale bread, tomatoes, garlic, onion, basil and lots of olive oil. The bread has to melt into the tomatoes until it reaches a thick consistency, almost like porridge.
Ingredients
170g ciabatta or stale white bread
extra virgin olive oil, for cooking and a little more for serving
1/4teaspoon chilli flakes (adjust to your personal taste)
4pods garlic, finely chopped
1small yellow onion, finely chopped
800g tinned whole peeled tomatoes, ideally San Marzano
4branches fresh basil, plus a few leaves to serve
500ml hot vegetable stock, a little more if necessary
Salt
Black pepper
Instructions
1
Traditional method
2
Cut or tear the bread into pieces. The bread should be really dry, so if it isn't, put it with a little olive oil in the oven at 150 C to dry it out even more.
3
Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the chilli flakes and fry briefly to flavour the oil.
4
Then add the finely chopped onion and minced garlic cloves. Fry over medium-low heat for around 10 to 15 minutes until the onion is tender.
5
Add the coarsely crushed tomatoes and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for around 10 minutes.
6
Add the bread and hot stock. Stir and cook gently for around 20 minutes, stirring regularly.
7
The bread should absorb the liquid and the texture should become thick, rustic and almost creamy, while still retaining bits of tomato.
8
Serve hot with a drizzle of olive oil, black pepper and a few basil leaves.
9
Thermomix method
10
Cut or tear the bread into pieces. The bread should be really dry, so if it isn't, put it with a little olive oil in the oven at 150 C to dry it out even more.
11
Scenting the oil
12
Place 30 ml olive oil and the chilli flakes in the bowl and heat for 3 mins / 120°C / speed 1, without the measuring cup.
13
Add the onion and garlic
14
Add 1 small onion and 4 whole garlic cloves and blend for 3 seconds on speed 5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Fry for 10 mins / 120°C / speed 1, without the measuring cup.
15
Add the tomatoes
16
Add 800 g whole peeled tomatoes, coarsely crushed, basil sprigs or large leaves, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 mins at 100°C in the opposite direction on simmering speed. The tomatoes should remain in pieces.
17
Add the bread and stock
18
Add the stale bread cut into pieces and 500 ml of hot vegetable stock. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes at 100°C in the reverse direction on simmering speed, without the measuring cup. If necessary, use a spatula to help push the bread into the liquid through the opening in the lid.
19
The bread should absorb the liquid naturally and give a very thick, rustic texture, almost like porridge.
20
Serve hot with a generous drizzle of olive oil, freshly ground black pepper and a few fresh basil leaves.
