Tuscan Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato and Bread Soup)

This recipe just looked so warm, comforting and SIMPLE!  I've said before that simple recipes are my favorite.  I had some organic country bread or "Pain de Campagne" in the house as I was going to make my favorite roast chicken for Sunday dinner.  This is probably my favorite bread of all and I love that it comes from a local artisan bakery.  This was a really simple dish so the ingredients had to shine.  I bought an organic veggie broth which was $6!

But, the ingredient list was not processed so I went with it.  One of the truest things I've learned in life that is that "you get what you pay for".  AND, I did not want to make my own stock today.

And of course I used whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand.  There really is no better canned tomato, as far as I am concerned - compared to like "Unico" or such...  I buy whatever brand is on sale, though the ones I buy are all imported from Italy (I buy mine at Famous Foods).  Today I used "Italissima".

Apparently you want D.O.P for the best grade.   All I know is that they are much better than the basic canned acidic tomatoes on the shelf.  When not on sale, I pay $5 for a 28oz can and $3 when they are.

I started by dicing the onion (I used a whole sweet one) and mincing the garlic.  I sauteed this in olive oil with a pinch of crushed chili flakes until soft.

I got the bread ready.

How much is 6 oz?  Online told me that one bread slice is about an ounce, so I used this much (below), from the end and then in...

I crushed the tomatoes, one by one in my hand and added to the mix.  I put a whole stem of fresh basil in.

I love fresh herbs.  I seasoned with freshly cracked pepper and kosher salt.

I added the bread and broth and simmered covered for about a half hour until the soup was "custardy" like the recipe called for.

I used the whole box of broth.  I fished out the large basil stem when done.  Above was when the bread went in, not after it was simmered down.

I garnished with Kirkland organic extra virgin olive oil, fresh cracked pepper, fresh torn basil and Parmesan Crisps from Costco ($12) - maybe the best Costco find EVER?

These are so good in soups and salads, or just placed where crackers are served.  They are just 100% cheese, no preservatives and sooooooo delectable!  15 crisps is only 100 calories too, so I use like a third of that on a bowl of soup and feel like I've gotten an amazing deal on calorie cheating!  😀  They will melt into the soup just like cheese...

This was really good.  It was rich and full of flavor from the basil.  The tomatoes and onions were sweet and the hint of chili heat was pleasant.  The onions still had a teeny bit of bite to them so gave some good texture to the soup.  I loved it more when those crisps melted in.  I made my son a grilled cheese sandwich to go along but I was plenty fine with just the bowl of soup.  A keeper!