Home » Recipe Type » Appetizers » Roasted Tomato Soup Thickened with Bread (Pappa Al Pomodoro)
Leave a Review
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Skip to Recipe
At an adorable café in San Clemente, a bowl of tomato-and-bread soup sent four ladies knocking on the kitchen’s door. Through an open window, the women praised the chef for his creation, swooning over the soup’s deep, rich flavors, begging him to disclose any secrets. Flattered and unafraid to share, the chef rattled off the ingredients: tomatoes, basil, onions, bread, salt.
The women stared in disbelief. They wanted something more. They wanted to hear that the soup was drizzled with white truffle oil; that it was lightened with a goats’-milk foam; that it was finished with an 80-year Xeres vinegar. Alas, simplicity, it seems, triumphs again.
Several of you out there recommended I roast or dry my small tomato harvest and store the tomatoes indefinitely in my freezer or fridge to be used as I please. I did in fact follow these instructions, but upon hearing this exchange between the chef and patrons at Cafe Mimosa last week, I couldn’t resist pureeing my tomatoes into a soup. Roasting, I discovered, sweetens and intensifies the tomato flavor, making the need for any exotic, unexpected flavorings unnecessary. Chef Tim Nolan surely wasn’t holding anything back. This rustic soup originates in Tuscany and, like so many traditional recipes — panzanella salad, bread pudding, bruschetta, French toast — was created as a way to prevent day-old bread from going to waste. Simplicity (as well as bread) is the common denominator of all of these recipes.
Whether the soup at Cafe Mimosa is vegetarian or not, I do not know, but my vegetables certainly needed some sort of a stock to bring the mixture to soup consistency. I used chicken stock and coarsely pureed the mixture with a large bunch of basil and a few dried out pieces of a French boule. Many of the recipes I found on the web for pappa al pomoodoro called for a fair amount of olive oil, but I didn’t think this soup needed any more than what was used while roasting them. Adjust this recipe, however, according to your liking — this batch of soup has been made completely to taste. If you start with a base of slow roasted tomatoes, onions, garlic and shallots, I assure you your soup will be a success. Served with a few shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano and a piece of crusty bread, pappa al pomodoro makes a wonderful late summer meal.
Slow roasted tomatoes, onions, shallots and garlic form the base of this Tuscan tomato soup.
5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star
No reviews
- Author: Alexandra Stafford at alexandracooks.com
- Total Time: 3 hours 35 minutes
- Yield: 1.5 to 2 quarts
Save Recipe
Description
Inspired By Café Mimosa’s Tomato Bread Soup
Notes: I now use water, not stock, in this recipe. Seeupdated recipe here.
Ingredients
- tomatoes, halved if large, left whole if cherry or grape, enough to fill a sheet tray
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped into big chunks
- 1 shallot, peeled and chopped into big chunks
- 1 head garlic, cloves removed and peeled
- a few carrots, peeled and cubed
- olive oil
- kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
- 3–4 slices bread (French or Italian)
- about 2 cups chicken stock (or water), preferably homemade or a low-sodium variety
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- crushed red pepper flakes
- Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and crusty bread for serving, optional
Note: This recipe is all done to taste. Adjust as necessary.
Instructions
- Roast the vegetables.Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Line a rimmed sheet tray with all of the vegetables. This tray should be filled in a single layer. Use whatever vegetables you have on hand — I threw in the carrots because I had them, but leeks, celery, thyme etc. would all make nice additions. Drizzle olive oil over top. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and roast for about three hours until vegetables are soft and slightly caramelized.
- Meanwhile, toast the bread.Slice the bread into ½-inch thick pieces. Place on the counter to dry or toast briefly in the toaster. You just want to dry out the bread; you’re not trying to brown it.
- Puree the soup.When the vegetables are done, place them in a pot with chicken stock. To give you a rough idea, I had about 5 cups of roasted vegetables and used about 2½ cups of chicken stock. Bring to a simmer. Season with a pinch of salt and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Add the bunch of basil. Break two slices of bread into medium-sized cubes and add to the pot. Using an emersion blender or food processor or traditional blender, puree the soup roughly. It should be slightly chunky. Taste and add more salt or bread if necessary. Add more stock until soup reaches desired consistency.
Notes
If you leave this soup relatively chunky, it would make a wonderful sauce for pasta.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Vegetables Soup Vegetarian Summer Tomato Appetizers
« Previous PostButtermilk Panna Cotta: Simplest Dessert Ever
Next Post »One Peach, One Tart, A Favorite Recipe, Simplified
Want to Chop Like a Pro?
Get your free 8-video tutorial
Leave a Comment & Rate this Recipe
RecipeGirl —Reply
Oh my gosh… that looks completely amazing. What a terrific, summery soup. If you sold this soup, I’d buy gallons of it!!! Great recipe!
rachel —Reply
See Alsosilky cauliflower soupis Cafe Mimosa still serving this soup? I might just have to pay them a visit!
scfoodie —Reply
Cafe Mimosa is hands down my favorite brunch spot in San Clemente. I love their soups!
Katrina —Reply
You have amazing looking food, photos, and recipes. Not sure who you found me through, but I’m bookmarking your site! Thanks for the comment on my blog.
That bowl of tomatoes looks awesome.Foodycat —Reply
Thanks for visiting my blog! I tried pappa al pomodoro in Florence last year and I just could not believe that something so simple could taste so good! Yours looks wonderful. I love how the story unfolds in pictures!
Manggy —Reply
Oh, my. Every step of the way, from raw product, to the process, to the final result, is just beautiful! Those tomatoes are like jewels and the soup sounds delicious!
Jenny —Reply
I am so glad I found your blog! Your recipes and pictures are beautiful! I can’t wait to visit often! I love soup all year round!
ttfn300 —Reply
those tomatoes look absolutely gorgeous!!! and that soup! i love roasting veggies 🙂
Clumbsy Cookie —Reply
What a wonderful blog you have here! Thanks for commenting on mine, cause now i could discover your!!! Wonderful blog, wonderful tomatoes and wonderful soup!
Kim —Reply
I love roasted any kind of vegetable and this soup looks divine. It is on my to do list asap. Thanks for the inspiration.
hot garlic —Reply
You’re kitchen is just chock-full of deliciousness! Everything looks so, So tasty, starting with this soup. If this is the signal for fall, then welcome to the new season, I’m here with open arms!
Ari (Baking and Books) —Reply
Gorgeous recipe and what tempting photos! I’m adding you to my blogroll as soon as I finish writing this comment. 🙂
beastmomma —Reply
I found you through Ari at Baking and Books. Now, I have to resist the urge to lick my screen!
Emiline —Reply
I’ve never tried this, but I want to! It looks delicious.
The pictures are gorgeous.noble pig —Reply
Beautiful and nice to meet you.
I lived in San Clemente for year’s and then moved to Monarch Beach before moving North!
I miss that town, especially the surfing.
Helene —Reply
Hi, I’m giving you an Award:
https://helene-lacuisine.blogspot.com/2008/08/simple-art-of-tart.htmlHave a wonderful day!
Bellini Valli —Reply
The simple things are quite often the best. What’s better than a sunripened tomato:D
Maria —Reply
What a great soup recipe! Your photos are amazing!
Jessy and her dog Winnie —Reply
The perfect comfort food!
Jackie —Reply
Can I roast the tomatoes in advance? I don’t have three hours before dinner…..
alexandracooks —Reply
Yes, of course! That’s a perfect step to do in advance.
Anne Murphy —Reply
I have made this soup numerous times and it never fails to impress me. It is seriously awesome. This time I added some half & half and a parmesan rind to the final product and let it simmer for a while. Delish.
alexandra —Reply
Yum! Anne, you are inspiring me to make this immediately and possible revisit it on the blog — it’s been so long. I have beautiful tomatoes on hand, too, and we are heading out of town at the end of the week. I think roasted tomato soup is in my near future.
