Tomato and Bread Soup (pappa al pomodoro)

If you had the pleasure of tasting an AUTHENTIC Tuscan Tomato & Bread Soup you already know that it is something to die for: creamy, light, not acidic at all. You can taste the summer sun in the tomatoes. Simply lovely!

It’s the end of the summer and the fresh tomatoes are at the top of their taste, it’s the perfect time to prepare a Tuscan Tomato & Bread Soup, baby friendly, of course 😉

I started from the original recipe by a Tuscan friend of my mom and I added/switched some ingredients to make it baby friendly.

Like all Italian recipes the secret of a success is in the top notch quality of the simple basic ingredients. The Tuscan tomato soup is basically made with tomatoes and bread.

The original recipe calls for San Marzano ripe tomatoes but as I live in Southern California they are a bit difficult to find at the local Farmer’s Market. I substituted them with the best sweet tomatoes we have: Heirlooms. I think my Tuscan friend will totally approve the substitution 🙂

If you do not have fresh sweet ripe tomatoes for the recipe I suggest you to pick up a different one: if the tomatoes are too acidic (just try a tiny piece) or they do not have any flavor you will end up with a sour soup for your baby that might cause some tummy ache 🙁

Of course, I do not even consider the idea of preparing the Baby Tuscan Tomato Soup with canned tomatoes 😉

The other main ingredient is one-day-old bread. The original recipe calls for a Tuscan Artisan bread (that is without salt). I used a local fresh rustic bread from the bakery.

Try to choose a kind of bread with a lot of soft part inside and a nice crust.

Also, the bread should be dry hard, one-day-old. To be sincere I forgot about it and I didn’t leave any bread from the previous night (we ate all!!!). So I found a short cut to obtain the same result.

Slice the fresh bread in thick slices and either cook them in the microwave for 3 minutes or toast them twice in the toaster. It works! The best method is with the microwave: it dehydrates the bread in no time! Just be careful not to overcook it or you will find yourself with some burned spots here and there (I tested…).

You can start offering the tomato soup to your baby from 10 months. Tomatoes are not allergenic but, due to their acidity, they might cause tummy ache or diaper/mouth rash.

That’s why I strongly recommend to use fresh seasonal sweet ripe tomatoes for this recipe. The quality of the tomatoes in addition to the length of the cooking (45min) will highly reduce the acidity in the soup (and the possible side effects) making it enjoyable by a young tummy too!

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Tomato and Bread Soup (pappa al pomodoro)

Ingredients

• 2 lb ripe tomatoes 1Kg.
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 4 Tbsp water
• 3 cloves garlic
• 6 basil leaves
• 10 oz. one-day-old artisan bread ciabatta 300gr.
• 4 Tbsp tomato paste
• 4 cup vegetable broth 1lt.
• 2 tsp ricotta cheese for each portion
• 1 Tbsp EVO oil for each portion
• pinch of salt for adults only

Instructions

1. Thinly slice the onion
   
2. chop the tomatoes in small pieces
3. in a big pan add 4 Tbsp of water and the onion. sauté for 7 minutes
   
4. 
5. add the tomatoes and the tomato paste. sauté for 15 minutes
   
6. add the garlic, the basil, the vegetable broth and the bread cubes. mix
   
7. 
8. 
9. simmer for 45 minutes. stir once in a while when you will see a thin “skin” appearing on the surface
   
10. 
11. 
12. if you think that the final consistency of the tomato soup is too chunky for your little one, you can create a smooth puree using an immersion blender
    
13. serve the tomato soup warm with a teaspoon of fresh ricotta cheese and a drizzle of EVO oil on top