Pappa al Pomodoro (Tuscan Tomato soup)

Pappa al pomodoro is a traditional Tuscan soup that can be a great starter or a meal on its own. I have a warm spot for this soup — a distinct memory of taste, a warm and thick tomato stew I ate in northern Italy a few years back. Tomatoes in Italian cuisine come in a huge variety of forms, which is why this soup is best made in summer when tomatoes are at their peak. That said, I really don't want to eat this soup in summer, so we improvise and use canned tomatoes and tomato paste to make up for the absence of ripe summer tomatoes. This soup reflects the Italian way of building a dish from fresh and old ingredients — not throwing away yesterday's leftovers, but transforming them into something new. The original Pappa al pomodoro uses stale bread, the kind that's no longer good for eating, but gets a new life inside this dish by absorbing all the liquid and melting into the tomato sauce. I use a combination of Tomato sauce, tomato paste, and fresh tomatoes. If you have good, flavorful fresh tomatoes, that's the best — but like I said, in winter we use what we can, and the best results come from canned tomatoes or tomato paste. I like to make some homemade croutons to add another layer of flavor and texture to the soup. It's optional, of course.

Is Pappa al pomodoro the best tomato soup?

Pappa al pomodoro was never a contender for the title of best tomato soup. It's a soup made from leftovers, meant to give a family a full, filling dinner while making the most of the vegetables naturally growing in Tuscany. I will say this — Pappa al pomodoro is a comforting soup, and certainly one you'd want your family to have. It has all the nutrition you need for a dinner, and it tastes amazing.