Taste of Summer in Winter: Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato Bread Soup)

If you have ever dipped a piece of bread in a pot of spaghetti sauce, this recipe is for you.  It is apparently the typical after school snack of children in Tuscany, and let me tell you, it beats milk and cookies by a mile. I have run across similar recipes, and have always been intrigued, but until now, have never made it.  It almost seemed too delicious to have for supper, a guilty pleasure for an adult in the same way that having pancakes for dinner might be for a child.  With the right tomatoes, it is a bright taste of summer in the middle of this drab winter, and it is exactly what we needed last week.  I used tomatoes that I had canned last summer, and they were perfect.  You could wait until summer to try pappa al pomodoro, or you could spend a few dollars extra and buy some San Marzano tomatoes, which I think would be almost as good as really good home-canned ones.  Add some fresh basil and some fresh ground pecorino romano, and it really is seriously awesome.

Pappa al Pomodoro (Tomato Bread Soup)

Adapted from Cooking with Italian Grandmothers by Jessica Theroux

1 medium loaf day old rustic Italian bread, crust removed and cut into cubes

2 pounds fresh tomatoes, or canned plum tomatoes

5 large garlic cloves, sliced very thin

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2-2 cups chicken stock

salt

1/4 cup fresh torn basil leaves

extra virgin olive oil for garnish

Put the tomatoes through a foodmill or in a blender to create a chunky puree.  In a large saucepan, saute the garlic slices in the olive oil for a few minutes.  When it is just about to turn golden, place the bread in the pot, and sprinkle about 1/2 cup of the chicken stock over the bread cubes.  Stir to coat the bread in the garlic and oil.  Add the pureed tomatoes, a large pinch of salt, and another cup of chicken stock.  Stir every five minutes or so as the soup comes to a simmer,  After 30 minutes, taste the pappa, add salt if necessary, and add more chicken stock if the consistency is not right.  It should be a mush; not too liquidy.  When ready to serve, add the basil, and serve in small bowls, sprinkled with pecorino romano cheese and drizzled with olive oil.

Hot Soup in August: Tortilla Soup

Mid-August is hardly the time most people think about making a hot soup.  The weather is already hot and soupy here in the Northeast.  More typical fare would be salads, cold soups, or even something on the grill.  I keep running across recipes for tortilla soup, which is probably because I am several months behind in some of the food magazines I read. As I looked at the pictures, I saw corn, avocado and tomatoes.  Something said summer to me, so I decided to make tortilla soup for dinner.  It turned out to be a "Top Five"  dinner, according to my daughter Emily. Along with the corn, avocado, and tomato, the cilantro and lime give it a little bit of that summer feeling, although this soup will certainly become a regular in my house year round.

Tortilla Soup:

2 small boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I poached them in some water with a bay leaf and some spices, but grilled will do, or some shredded rotisserie chicken)

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped carrot

2 tbsp. flour

3 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1/2 tsp cumin

3/4 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp black pepper

64 ounces low sodium chicken stock

3 tomatoes, chopped, or 1 can of diced tomatoes

1-2 cups of water

juice of 1 lime

zest of half a lime

1 can small white beans, drained and rinsed

2 ears corn removed from the cob (frozen corn can be used when it is not corn season)

1/4 cup of cilantro, chopped, plus more for garnish

1 avocado, cubed

1/3 cup green onion, for garnish

8 corn tortillas, cut into 1/2 inch strips

In the bottom of a soup pot, saute the onion, carrots, garlic, and celery in the olive oil for about 4-6 minutes.  Add the flour, and whisk until the flour is cooked and golden brown, creating a roux.  Add cumin, paprika and black pepper, and whisk through.  Add the chicken stock, bring to medium heat, then add tomatoes, beans, lime zest and juice, and cilantro, and lower heat to simmer. Add cooked chicken.  I added the corn about 5 minutes before serving, and I really liked the 'al dente' quality.  Taste the soup, and add water if needed.

About 15 minutes before serving, take the tortilla strips, place them on a wire rack set on a cookie sheet, and spray with cooking spray.  Sprinkle a little salt and paprika on the strips, and place in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, or until crispy and golden.

Serve soup in a large bowl, garnished with cilantro, green onion, avocado, and several tortilla strips.