Summer Tomato-Bread Soup

By Greywolf

Ingredients

• 1 pound country-style bread
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus olive oil for garnish
• 2 small cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 5 to 5 1/2 pounds ripe plum (Roma) or beefsteak tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (7 cups)
• 1 fresh sage leaf, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh basil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3-4 cups vegetable or meat stock
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from cooking.com

Preparation

Step 1

DIRECTIONS

Trim off the crusts from the bread and cut the bread into 1-inch cubes; you should have about 1/2 pound. Place in a single layer on a tray and let dry, uncovered, overnight.

In a deep, heavy-bottomed soup pot over low heat, warm the 3 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute. Add the bread and sauté for 2 minutes; do not allow to brown. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the sage and basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

As the bread absorbs the tomatoes, add some of the stock as needed to keep the mixture soupy. At the same time, use a spoon to mash the bread so the soup is thick and the bread blends into the tomato sauce.

Cook the soup, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, until thickened and no chunks of bread remain, 30-40 minutes. Remove from the heat and let rest for 30-60 minutes to allow the flavors to blend and develop.

Return the pot to low heat and stir in the vinegar. Bring to a simmer and simmer until the sharp fumes of the vinegar have evaporated, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning.