Pappa di Pomodoro with a Cuban Slant

 
If you’re looking for an old world earthy soup, this one’s it.  Extremely simple to make and full of robust flavor to boot.  Take this soup one step further and add cannelloni beans, or any beans of your choice, and you have yet another healthy soup.

2 Tbls. Olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
6-8 Roma tomatoes, chopped (about 4 cups)
¼ cup fresh basil
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups stale bread, cubed
Salt & Pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot.  Gently sauté the garlic for a few minutes.  Add the tomatoes and basil and cook for 10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Add the chicken broth and season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the bread cubes until totally immersed and cook until the soup comes to a simmer.  Reduce heat to simmer, put a lid on the pot and cook for 45 minutes.

Fill bowls with soup and grate some Parmesan cheese on top. 

4 Servings

Side Note: 

I didn’t have any rustic bread when I made this so I used some of my 3 foot long loaf of Cuban bread.  Hence, the Cuban Slant.

Most recipes for tomato soup call for the tomatoes to be seeded.  You can certainly do that if that’s how you like your soup.  I like the earthy taste of the seeds and leave them in. 

I couldn’t find any fresh basil at the grocery…unbelievable.  (We’re currently in a small town outside of Tampa.)  So, I substituted dried basil and basically eyeballed it.  If  I had to guess, I would say 2 tbls.  You should taste it as you add it.

Buon appetito!