Recipes > Tomato & Bread Soup
- Serves: 6 to 8
- Active Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Views: 49,808
- Success Rating: 90% (?)
Steps
Step 1: Roasting the Tomatoes
- 1 lb cherry tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 large bunch fresh basil
- extra-virgin olive oil
- sea salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
Method
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degree Celsius).
Prick the cherry tomatoes with a fork and place into a bowl. Emince the garlic and sprinkle over top. Remove the leaves from the basil stems (reserve the stems) and add one-quarter of the leaves to the bowl. Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat evenly.
Place onto a roasting tray and roast for approximately 20 to 30 minutes to concentrate/caramelize.
Step 2: Preparing the Soup
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 - 400 g cans quality cherry or plum tomatoes
- 3 to 4 cups stale rustic bread
- sea salt (to taste)
- freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 400 ml water
- 7 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Method
Finely dice the reserved basil stems and emince the garlic.
Place the olive oil, basil stems and garlic in a heavy-bottomed pot. Turn the heat to medium and gently fry the garlic until fragrant but not brown. Once fragrant, add the canned tomatoes and break them up slightly with a wooden spoon. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes.
In the meantime, break up the bread into bite-size pieces. Once the soup has simmered for about 15 minutes, add the bread to the soup. Tear the remaining basil leaves into the soup and stir (reserve a few for garnish, if desired). Reduce the heat to low and let sit for about 10 minutes to thicken.
Once the tomatoes are roasted, add them to the soup, scraping any nice caramelized bits into the pot. Stir to combine. Season to taste.
The soup should have a thick, porridge-like texture to it. If it is too thick, adjust the consistency with a bit of water.
Remove the soup from the heat and add the olive oil. Serve the soup in warmed bowls. Garnish with the extra basil, if desired.
Chef's Notes
- by Kimberley Slobodian
- •
- April 11, 2011
The bread in this recipe is the starchy component and is used to thicken the soup.
11 Comments
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I made this soup yesterday and served it for dinner with a chicken Caesar salad and a nice riesling. I made modifications to the recipe to better suit my ingredients on hand, and to adjust the recipe to my palate. 1.) I roasted 2 heads of garlic and one diced yellow bell pepper with the cherry tomatoes. 2.) I added the basil leaves to the roasted vegetables just 5 minutes before removing the tomatoes from the oven to make them crisp without burning. I used globe basil -- perhaps other varieties of basil are less prone to scorching? 3.) I could not find San Marzano tomatoes on my store shelf. I used Muir Glen organic fire roasted tomatoes (which, unfortunately, contain citric acid -- but are about the best that I can find locally. Otherwise, I would need to special order my canned tomatoes.) I added a small amount of fresh squeezed orange juice to “make up” for this deficiency. 4.) I used dark chicken stock for the base of this soup, which added a nice richness to the flavor profile. 5.) For some reason, the tomatoes took about 45 minutes roasting time, rather than the 30 minutes the recipe suggested to caramelize in my oven at 350 degrees F. Overall, I am very pleased with this soup recipe because it is an end of harvest “problem solver”. I will most definitely make multiple batches of this soup at the end of the season using my own grill roasted Roma tomatoes, and freeze for use in winter. Suggestions: I would double the amount of roasted basil leaves the next time I make this soup. (The roasting calms the flavor of the basil, but looks so beautiful in the finished soup.) Personally, I did not like the texture of basil stems (even finely chopped and sautéed) in my soup. I will omit the basil stems the next time I make this. I will also use both red and orange cherry tomatoes to brighten the color of the soup. Next time I will try a little bit of smoked gouda as a topping for this soup. Thank you Kimberly, for such a great soup idea. -
Really likes this one, the roasted tomatoes were so sweet and yummy. Will definetely make this again, cheers! -
This soup is beautiful and so, so tasty. I made it for dinner tonight and added a perfectly medium-poached egg to the bowl for an extra wow! Between the bread and the egg, I am pleasantly full and smiling. Rouxbe, you're making me feel like a real chef! -
https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xta1/v/t1.0-9/11048275_10152591262351511_2101351487260640434_n.jpg?oh=435af0e61b785447aff2c77e80e19e1b&oe=55BEAB79&__gda__=1434299700_2cff412e26db9d5d6351242eb3b059d5
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Danielle- Great work on improvising the dish to make it really suit your tastes. I bet it added an entirely new dimension of flavor to the dish. ~Ken -
I did this soup last week and trying to make a healthier version of it I replaced the bread for soy chunks. I was quite happy with the end result as the soy chunks soaked the liquid extremely well. I basically followed the steps on recipe but omitted the bread and added the soy chunks and let it cook for about 10 minutes. Great result! loved the soup. -
This was so flavorful and comforting to make on a super rainy day! I’ve had no idea what to do with all my cherry tomatoes, but roasting them was a great idea. I also added onion, because I add onion to everything :) Def recommend -
Rouxbe Staff
Hi Brooke: My grandparents were Italian, and "bread soup" was a staple in our home. It is such a great way to utilize tomatoes, too. So glad you enjoyed the dish. Cheers, Char -
I made this soup on a rainy July 4. it was very satisfying. Has a stew like consistency. Used an artisan wheat bread. Cut up into one inch pieces the night before and put on a baking sheet and allowed it to become stale. Used a 28 ounce can of San Marzano tomatoes and my white stock instead of water. The carmelized cherry tomatoes and garlic gave this soup a very nice aroma and flavor. Highly recommend. -
What’s the healthy serving size for this dish for 1 person?
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Rouxbe Staff
Hi Mary-- When I make this recipe, I omit the oil (which is doable). The yield says that it can serve 6-8 people. I would suggest to make the soup, and divide by six servings. I would also suggest to add a cup of a fresh green, like spinach or kale, to add more nutrient-density. This is a pannegotta, which is a Southern Italian dish, and very enjoyable. Hope this has answered your question. Let us know how you like it. Cheers, Char
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