Pappa al Pomodoro Soup

Ain’t nothing better on a 90 degree day than some hot soup, am I right?? I saw this soup in, of all place, InStyle magazine, and thought it looked yummy and easy. Well, it’s one of those. I must say, though, that I didn’t use nearly as much basil as it called for, and that may have been the problem. I was relying on Toby’s little scraggly basil plant on the front porch to supply all my basil, and now it’s nearly just a stalk. So I did have to scrimp there. Toby tasted it and said “it’s watery.” I had to agree. It was very bland. I wonder if I had used veggie stock instead of the plain water if that would have made much difference? In any case, I have to be fair and make it properly before I hand down a judgement.

rating: 7ish

Pappa al Pomodoro Soup
(InStyle, Sept. 2009)

serves 6

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup fresh basil
2 tsp chopped fresh sage
1 1/2 pounds ripe, peeled, seeded tomatoes, chopped (about 5 medium)
3 slices day-old white peasant bread, cut into 1/2″ cubes
3 cups water
Olive oil and basil leaves for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, basil, and sage, and cook for 2 minutes or until garlic begins to brown.
2. Stir in tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bread and water. Return to boil and reduce heat. Stir, breaking up bread with back of a wooden spoon.
3. Let soup simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with additional olive oil and garnish with basil leaves.