pappa al pomodoro – Tuscan tomato soup

pappa al pomodoro recipe

This classic Tuscan bread and tomato soup, pappa al pomodoro, is super speedy, silky smooth, family friendly and works brilliantly for a lunch or dinner. It also freezes well, making it handy for quick after school and work dinners. I recently made a cookalong video of me making this so why not watch it now?Italian soups have a much thicker texture than you may be used to, this one has a silky, loose porridgey texture that is so comforting. Just trust me, you’ll love it. I’ve had a few raised eyebrows when I’ve taught this – swiftly followed by eyes closed in delight when people taste it.

Some of the most classic Italian soup recipes have come from the days when soup was the easiest way to make a small amount of food fill a large amount of people easily and inexpensively. Traditionally Italian soups are thickened with beans, rice or stale bread. This pappa al pomodoro is thickened with bread, something most of us always have hanging around, making this a great store cupboard dinner.

Why use stale bread

This soup, being thickened by bread, is a perfect way to use up stale bread rather than throw it away. Try to get into the habit of chopping any leftover good quality bread into chunks and freezing it in a plastic bag. You can use the chunks as croutons, to blitz into breadcrumbs or for soups like this. Read more about how to store and use leftover bread here.