This Tomato and Bread Soup is one of the highlights of summer. It is my version of comfort food. Hot broth ladled over tomatoes, cheese and crusty bread and topped with a poached egg…How can you go wrong? I found this a long time ago in an old Food and Wine magazine and over the years I’ve made small changes to the recipe, adapting it to my kitchen. I am forever grateful to Ben Barker for the inspiration. My Italian friends are even amazed by this and that is quite a compliment!
On the surface it seems like a complicated recipe but really it’s easy to prepare all of the parts, even the poached egg, in advance, arrange it in a bowl, then ladle the hot broth over it to serve. It never fails to impress.
Monica's Tomato and Bread Soup
This soup is so comforting to me. I vary the cheese according to my mood. I've given suggestions below. Pick one type of cheese or use all three - you can't go wrong.
Ingredients
- ½ loaf of Crusty Italian Bread, torn into 1” to ½ “ pieces
- 1-2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
- Hot Tomato Broth, CLICK HERE for the recipe
- 1 ½ lbs Chopped Tomatoes: I use a mix of Heirloom, Cherry, and Sungold
- 1 small Ball of Mozzarella cheese finely diced, about ½ cup
- 1 ½ Cup Shaved Asiago, Pecorino Cheese or Mozzarella Cheese*
- A handful of torn basil leaves plus sprigs for garnish
- 6 Poached or Fried (Sunny Side Up) eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl toss the bread and the olive oil together until the bread is coated. Spread on a baking sheet and toast for about 10 minutes, stirring halfway through until golden. Set aside to cool.
- Heat the Tomato Broth and keep warm. Poach the eggs and set aside on a paper towel lined plate. If you fry the egg it’s best to do it just before serving.
- Just before serving evenly divide the toasted bread, tomatoes, 1 Cup of cheese(s), and basil in the bottom of 6 soup bowls. Ladle the hot broth over, top with the poached or fried egg, garnish with the basil sprigs and serve.
Monica, this dish looks like something that came straight out of the Italian countryside. I can imagine it is to flavorful. What a great summer soup.
Looks delicious! I have never added an egg to a soup like this – what a tasty idea!
This sounds absolutely AMAZING! You’ve really outdone yourself with this recipe.
Susanne
This looks so good. I can imagine myself enjoying a bowl of this on a chilly Fall evening. How can you go wrong with hot and cheesy soup?!
What a wonderful combination of flavors! I have never heard of a soup like this before. Sounds delicious! I realy need to try this. I imagine it is perfect for the season.
I can’t decide which I love more, the cheese options or the egg! HOLY MOLY!