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Tomato, Bread, and Parmesan Soup




Source of Recipe


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Recipe Introduction


Tomato and bread soup is one of those classic Italian recipes that make something special out of foods that have outlived their usefulness for most people, in this case stale bread and over-ripe tomatoes. My version of this soup is made deliberately thick with sourdough bread -- which may seem an unusual choice but whose distinct flavor goes really well with tomatoes -- and lots of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. If you've ever read in cookbooks that you should save the rinds for another use, this is the ultimate one: The rind infuses the entire soup with rustic, Italian flavor.


List of Ingredients









Serves 8


Ingredients:

4 pounds very ripe beefsteak or Jersey tomatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Sugar
1 block Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, about 8 ounces
1/4 cup olive oil, plus more for serving
1/2 medium Spanish onion, peeled and cut into small dice
1 stalk celery, cut into small dice
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
2 quarts store-bought low-sodium vegetable broth
1 large or 2 small loaves day-old sourdough bread, crust removed, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 8 cups)
Basil oil or Pesto, optional


Instructions:

Thirty minutes before you want to start cooking, put the tomatoes in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Grate the cheese, reserving the rind.
Warm the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not yet smoking, add the onion and the celery and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and a pinch of sugar and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to coat the vegetables.
Add the stock and cheese rind, raise the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until the soup returns to a boil.
Lower the heat and simmer until the tomatoes break down completely and the soup begins to thicken, about 40 minutes. Remove and discard the rind. Add the bread cubes and cook, stirring to break them down, for about 15 minutes.
Stir in the grated cheese until the soup becomes as thick and flavorful as you like.


Recipe