Roasted Tomato and Bread Soup (Pappa al Pomodoro)
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I first posted this recipe for tomato and bread soup (pappa al pomodoro) several years ago, but since publishing it, I’ve learned two things about the soup that inspired its creation:
- The chef used water as opposed to stock.
- The chef used canned San Marzano tomatoes.
Both details surprised me, and while I have never successfully made the soup with canned tomatoes, I now only use water.
If this sounds suspicious or if you can’t help but think stock could only make this soup taste better, let’s review: remember that French onion soup we made last winter? Or that delectable fresh tomato-red pepper pasta sauce we made last summer?
Each of these recipes calls for water exclusively.
Here, slow-roasting the tomatoes, onions, carrots and garlic concentrates all of the flavors, making any liquid but water unnecessary. Furthermore, water doesn’t muddy the pure tomato flavor. As with the onion soup, you need to plan ahead — the onions roast for almost three hours — but the work is mostly hands off.
I know it’s hard this time of year not to eat tomatoes any other way but raw, with a sprinkling of salt and a drizzle of olive oil, but if you’re lucky enough to have a glut, this one’s for you.
Of course: peasant bread on the side.
Roasted Tomato and Bread Soup
- Total Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 servings as a first course
Description
Inspired originally by a soup served at Cafe Mimosa in San Clemente.
Notes: Plan ahead: the vegetables roast for three hours. Once they are done, however, the soup comes together in no time. Feel free to use whatever vegetables you have on hand — a few leeks, celery, peppers, etc. would all make nice additions.
Ingredients
- 3 lbs (1.36 kg) tomatoes, about, halved if large, left whole if cherry or grape, enough to fill a sheet tray
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped into big chunks (9.5 oz | 256 g once trimmed)
- 1 shallot, peeled and chopped into big chunks (3⅛ oz | 88 g once trimmed)
- 1 head garlic, cloves separated but left peeled, lightly smashed (1.5 oz | 42 g)
- one large carrot, unpeeled, roughly chopped (2 oz | 55 g)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, about
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- fresh cracked pepper
- 4 to 5 oz | 135 g (a couple slices) bakery style bread or peasant bread
- 2 to 3 cups water
- 1 bunch (1 oz | 28 g) fresh basil
- crushed red pepper flakes to taste
- Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and more bread for serving, optional
- olive oil for drizzling, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300ºF. Line a rimmed sheet tray with all of the vegetables. The vegetables should cover the tray in a single layer. (Note: the total weight of vegetables is about 4 lbs or 1.812 kg.) Drizzle olive oil over top. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper to taste. Roast for about three hours, but start checking after 2 hours — sometimes they are done in 2.5 hours. The vegetables should be soft and slightly caramelized.
- Meanwhile, toast the bread. If you haven’t already, slice the bread into ½-inch thick pieces. Place on the counter to dry or toast briefly in the toaster. You can also stick the bread in the oven for about 20 minutes or so while the tomatoes are roasting. You just want to dry out the bread; you’re not trying to brown it.
- When the vegetables are done, place them in a pot with 2½ cups of water. Bring to a simmer. Note: It’s best to bring this soup to a simmer slowly — it spits violently if you heat it too quickly. Also, reheat with the lid on over low heat for the same reason.
- Season with a pinch of salt and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Add the bunch of basil. Break one slice 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. Add the other slice of bread if necessary. The soup should be slightly chunky. Taste and add more salt or bread if necessary. Thin with more water until soup reaches desired consistency.
- Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a few shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Category: Soup
- Method: Roast, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian, American
Keywords: tomato, bread, soup, roasted, pappa al pomodoro
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
76 Comments on “Roasted Tomato and Bread Soup (Pappa al Pomodoro)”
You read my mind! We have so many of tomatoes right now I have been struggling to keep up with them.
Is the bread just for thickening? Can it be deleted if one is gluten free?
Lisa, I think it is — it’s an old Italian recipe (pappa al pomodoro) — and it certainly could be left out. The roasted, pureéed tomatoes are delicious on their own.
I never thought I would praise food photos but really your photographs are exquisite!
Thank you, Asma! You are kind.
So sorry for your camera! I know by now you probably exhausted all the possibilities, but are you sure no one delivered the camera to a lost and found at the airport? Oh, that hurts so bad!
This soup looks simply amazing….
Sally, you know, I actually haven’t called. I need to. I looked online for a number but kept getting directed to an online submission form, which I filled out. I am going to search again for a number. It’s so painful to think about.
Don’t give up hope on your camera. My son left his Ipad on a plane. It took a few months, during which time he expected never to see it again, and then it showed up.
This is encouraging! Thank you, Charlene! I will try to stay positive.
I don’t know how I could have missed the first iteration of this soup. But I’m going to remedy that oversight this weekend and get to know Roasted Tomato and Bread Soup.
Yes! It’s one of my favorites, Wendi. And the puréed tomatoes could be turned into so many things. Yum!
We had this over the weekend. Oh my yes. Thanks for making the introduction.
So happy to hear this, Wendi!
Still getting the crazy replies I see.
I hate to post unless I’ve actually prepared it or have a question, but this time I need to whine. Happily surprised with how beautiful Alpharetta is, but LEFT SO MANY TOMATOES on my vines at home 🙁 Neighbors will be taking advantage of the bounty, but alas none for us. They do sell some California heirlooms out here, but as we know, there always picked to soon and never taste as good as the ones picked fresh and ripe from the garden. But I will save this for next year as it looks fabulous. Hope all is well with you Ali.
Laura, it’s the most annoying thing! I think I need to add a password, at least for a little while.
I forgot that you were spending some time away! It must be a little painful to think about those tomatoes, but I’m glad to hear they won’t be going to waste. What lucky neighbors! I’ve really never had tomatoes as good as the cherokee purple we would get at our San Clemente farmers’ market. They were a dream. Hope you are well, too, Laura!
I love this! Going to make this for my boys this weekend! THX!
I loved rewatching that SNL monologue of Vince’s 🙂 🙂 I’m glad you get to have your memories saved even without the camera, of course!… but, still such a bummer about the camera.
The flavors in this soup must be insane! Very timely too since my mother brought me more romas than I know what to do with. Don’t you just love that immersion blender?
My gosh, Alexandra. I can’t wait for my tomatoes to ripen so I can make this beauty! Also I’m happy to report that I made your honey baked chicken legs for dinner last night and they were a big hit. I’m also addicted to your mom’s peasant bread. Your blog is my new favorite! Thanks for sharing the love 🙂
I can’t resist the cartons of heirloom tomatoes at the markets right now. What a yummy way to use them up when I buy too many. 🙂
This soup looks heavenly! Sorry to hear about your camera. I was actually just reading an article who’s main point was people that take pictures while at a museum remember LESS of what they saw then people who don’t take photos. So there is a bright side I suppose!
Ali, so sorry to hear about your camera! I would have a pit in my stomach as well. I hope you recover it. But, remember this–photographs are just tangible evidence of memories we already have captured in our hearts and mind.
Thanks for sharing this soup recipe. I have been modifying the recipe you shared for Pasta Alla Vecchia Bettola to make tomato soup. Now, I can just use this one! Can’t wait to try (after these 100+ days are out of here).
Gosh doll, so sorry to hear about the camera…..hope it didn’t ruin your trip! xoxo
Oh, this soup has everything I love. And I think soups made with water are wonderful.
Pappa al pomodoro is so delicious! I had it in Florence once and was so amazed that they could make that horrible saltless bread taste like tomatoey heaven.
Such beautiful soup! I love the bread addition and the fact that roasted fresh veggies. Looking forward to colder soup days 🙂
I cannot wait to make this before summer ends. And I’ve totally been to cafe mimosa in san clemente! Thanks for sharing!
So fun, Nicole! Isn’t San Clemente a dream?
What a great way to use up all of the tomatoes from my garden. This looks FABULOUS! Can’t wait to give it a try!
Very jealous of ALL of the tomatoes in your garden. Ours have been trickling in.
I hope I start getting tomatoes in my CSA box so I can make this soup ASAP!
Oh, the CSA tomatoes have been amazing! I love this time of year.
This soup looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it!
Thank you, Rose!
All these comments about having so many tomatoes to use up—envy! But my area does have several thriving Farmer’s markets. I even have some Italian soup bowls to put the soup in. I am set.
Yes you are! Hope you like it.
This looks so delicious and we have plenty of fresh tomatoes from a neighbor. A great and hearty soup recipe right in time for the fall chill.
Thanks, Ralph!
Roasted tomato soup is one of my favorite things. Your photos are so gorgeous! I’m so sorry about your camera…I always hold out hope that there are more honest people than not in this world and someone will turn it in.
I haven’t given up hope! It’s still bothering me.
Hi –
I made this soup twice and find that the tomatoes are so acidic, it needs something to smooth it out a little. I thought about a pinch of sugar but I don’t know if sweetener is the thing. Any suggestions?
Hi Meg,
Would you be opposed to adding dairy? A little heavy cream might do the trick, or if you stir a spoonful of creme fraiche into each bowl, that might help, too. Sugar could help, but I found the roasted peppers to be so sweet, so I would hate to make it too sweet. Let me know, and I’ll keep thinking!
This soup looks incredible! I am saving the recipe it to make next year when I will be sure to plant extra tomatoes… this is my first year having a garden and I only planted one tomato plant. The tomatoes don’t even make it to my kitchen as I end up eating them when I water the plants every morning!
I love it…sounds like our garden. We’ve been pulling in a few at a time, but I have a dear friend who gave me all of those yellow tomatoes in the photo, which were delicious, and we’ve been getting beauties in our CSA as well.
Okay, so with all the rain this year and not as hot I now have like twenty pounds of tomatoes on my kitchen cabinet! Yikes! Time to get out the sheet pans and olive oil! I wonder how they would freeze once roasted?? Not sure about that idea? The weather is fixing to cool off next week! Yay Fall! Hugs!!
I’m so jealous! We’ve been bringing in two at a time for weeks. I would love a boatload! I think they will freeze beautifully. I’m excited for fall, too! xo
Well, nothing got frozen because we ate all of the first batch! Man, if tomato soup had tasted like that when I was little I’da been eating it everyday! It was amazing! I’m making the second batch this week!
Haha, I love it. So happy to hear this, Laurie! And I continue to be jealous of your tomato crop…amazing!! xo
I made this soup on Sunday, I had it for lunch today and it is delicious, I used the red pepper flakes loved the touch of heat. This is a keeper, I froze some and looking forward to that. Thanks for the recipe.
Wonderful to hear this, Norma!
This soup turned out SO GOOD. That roasted garlic really amps it up a notch. I licked it off my fingers as I peeled it. (I assumed correctly that I should slip the peels off the garlic cloves once they’re roasted, right?) Man oh man, what a great segway between summer and fall foods 🙂
Yes, oops! Is that not in the instructions? …need to fix that 🙂 So happy to hear you liked this! We have been loving it, too 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this lovely recipe. My family loved it! I have SO many tomatoes right now. Have you ever tried freezing this soup with the bread in it?….just wondered how it would hold up….
Thanks again!!
So happy to hear this, Cari! Very jealous of your overload of tomatoes 🙂
OK, I have a batch in the freezer (with the bread in it) but I haven’t tried thawing it yet. I am curious, too. If I thaw it tomorrow for lunch or dinner, I will report back. Your comment is making me think though for future reference, it might be better to freeze without the bread, and then to add the bread once you thaw…good thinking. I will report back!
Did you close your comments and contact email?
Lisa, that was the weirdest thing — I have no idea why comments were not appearing on my latest post. I must have clicked a button by accident. I fixed it now. Thanks for letting me know!
It must have been the solar flares. =P
Haha, I love it, thank you again for bringing it to my attention. Hope all is well!