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Find more waste-busting soups in Vanessa Seder’s From Top to Bottom: Waste-Not Warming Soups.
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RECIPE: Pappa Al Pomodoro: Bread Stew With Roasted Tomatoes, Olive Oil, and Garlic
- Yield: Serves 4–6 1x
Description
Utilizing the rind from a chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese as well as stale bread, this thick, rustic Italian soup embodies the peasant’s virtue of letting nothing go to waste. Because ripe, in-season tomatoes are hard to come by in the fall and winter months, I recommend using fire-roasted jarred or canned tomatoes, which are picked at the height of their ripeness and lend a glorious smokiness to your ’doro.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 7 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1–2 oz Parmigiano Reggiano cheese rind
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 1 cup coarsely chopped yellow onion
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tsp fine sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 28–oz can (~3 cups) organic diced fire-roasted tomatoes with juices
- 1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tsp granulated sugar
- 8 cups (~8 oz) stale Italian or French bread, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, for serving
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine the broth and cheese rind. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low to keep warm.
- Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven or large pot, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally until translucent and softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic has softened slightly, about 3 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, rosemary, and sugar, and stir to combine. Stir in the bread and coat well in the tomato mixture. Then ladle in the warm stock (the rind can be discarded at this point) and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the bread has completely softened and the flavors have developed, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with more salt and pepper, if desired.
- Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each with grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.
