| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 2 hr |
| Prep: | 30 min |
| Cook: | 1 hr 30 min |
| Yield: | 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup good olive oil
- 2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
- 1 cup medium-diced carrots, unpeeled (3 carrots)
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and medium-diced (1 1/2 cups)
- 4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
- 3 cups (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes, crusts removed
- 2 (28-ounce) cans good Italian plum tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 1/2 cup dry red wine
- 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 3 cups (1-inch) diced ciabatta cubes
- 2 ounces thickly sliced pancetta, chopped
- 24 to 30 whole fresh basil leaves
- 3 tablespoons good olive oil, plus more for serving
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, carrots, fennel, and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until tender. Add the ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minutes. Place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process just until coarsely chopped. Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the chicken stock, red wine, basil, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- For the topping, place the ciabatta cubes, pancetta, and basil on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the ingredients are crisp. The basil leaves will turn dark and crisp, which is perfectly fine. Reheat the soup, if necessary, beat with a wire whisk until the bread is broken up. Stir in the Parmesan and taste for seasoning. Serve hot sprinkled with the topping and drizzled with additional olive oil.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 567 |
| Total Fat | 35 g |
| Saturated Fat | 7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 45 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 7 g |
| Sugar | 15 g |
| Protein | 17 g |
| Cholesterol | 19 mg |
| Sodium | 1469 mg |
Reviews
While this is tasty I’m sure, it should never be called Pappa al Pomodoro. The Tuscans take this dish to heart, because of it’s humble roots. It is a symbol of perseverance in tough times and enjoyable sustenance when there was little to celebrate. There’s even a song and a dance paying tribute to the actual dish. This is not that dish.
Favorite soup of my family! I could snack on the croutons all day!
This is soo yummy. I actually used this as a sauce for flatbread pizza, and it is definitely the best pizza sauce I’ve ever had! I used my hand blender to mix it after cooking.
I love tomato soup and usually make it from scratch, roasting fresh tomatoes. Using the canned tomatoes made this so simple. It is absolutely delicious. I was a bit uncertain about the bread, but I whizzed up the soup with my immersion blender. It was just wonderful!
I love this soup, I’ve made it twice now. This last time i substituted celery for fennel. I also pureed the soup with my immersion blender. Don’t skip the topping, it’s so good!
This has become my favorite tomato soup recipe. It’s easy and delicious (although I use less salt than called for). It’s also an excellent way to use up the heels of bread that would otherwise get tossed. (The recipe says to cut off the crusts, but that’s not necessary.
I made this today and it is amazing! The crispy basil and panchetta just really make this soup. This is definitely one to keep in my repertoire of fall and wintery foods.
Fantastic!!!!
The soup on its own came out a bit bland for me, but the topping saves it — great texture and the saltiness of the pancetta really makes the dish.
My first attempt at making one of Ina’s soups. Wow! This was amazing. Loved it!!!! So flavorful and a wonderful texture. The homemade croutons were a fantastic topping.