Tuscan Bread Soup Recipe

This hearty soup recipe by Luke Holder is based on a traditional Tuscan recipe, whereby tomato based soup is thickened with bread. Using stale bread and a tin of chopped tomatoes, this delicious Italian soup makes a cheap and simple lunch or supper that can be whipped up in under an hour.

Ingredients

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100g of onion, diced
2g of dried chilli flakes
500g of tinned chopped tomatoes
100ml of chicken stock
175ml of extra virgin olive oil
25g of garlic, chopped
25g of fresh basil
150g of stale bread, crusts removed and torn into chunks
salt
freshly ground black pepper

To serve

dried chilli flakes, optional
extra virgin olive oil

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Place the onions in a large pan with a little oil and gently sweat, without colouring. Add the dried chilli flakes to the onion and cook for 20 minutes

100g of onion, diced
2g of dried chilli flakes

Add the chicken stock and tomatoes to the pan, mix well and cook for 15 more minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure the soup doesn't catch

500g of tinned chopped tomatoes
100ml of chicken stock

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil until warm in a separate pan. Add the garlic and basil to the pan and infuse in the oil for 2 minutes

175ml of extra virgin olive oil
25g of garlic, chopped
25g of fresh basil

Add the infused oil into the tomato base and stir, then add the bread which will instantly cause the soup to thicken. Cook for 12–15 minutes, breaking down the bread into the soup by stirring with a whisk - the texture should still be quite chunky

150g of stale bread, crusts removed and torn into chunks

Season with salt and pepper and adjust the heat with a little extra cayenne pepper or chilli to your taste. Drizzle in a little extra virgin olive oil and serve

salt
freshly ground black pepper
dried chilli flakes, optional
extra virgin olive oil

First published in 2015

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Luke Holder

Luke Holder comes by his taste for ultra-authentic local cuisine honestly: he's spent large chunks of his career soaking up regional techniques in far-flung parts of the world.