Tuscan Bread and Tomato Soup (Pappa al Pomodoro)

Ingredients

• 1 pound stale country bread
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion
• chopped
• 2 to 3 garlic cloves (to taste)
• minced
• 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes
• peeled
• seeded
• and chopped
• or 1 (28-ounce) can
• with juice
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• Pinch of sugar
• Pinch of sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 cups water
• 2 to 3 tablespoons slivered fresh basil

Instructions

1. If your bread is too hard to cut, douse it with water first.
2. Then remove the crusts and cut into cubes.
3. You should have about 7 cups.
4. Heat the oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium-low heat.
5. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.
6. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for about a minute, until fragrant.
7. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have cooked down, about 10 minutes.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning.
9. Stir the bread cubes into the tomatoes.
10. Add the water, half the basil, and about 1 teaspoon salt.
11. Bring to a simmer and simmer, stirring and mashing the bread, for about 10 minutes, until the soup is thick, like oatmeal.
12. Stir in the remaining basil, taste and adjust seasoning.
13. Serve hot, warm, or room temperature.