When Tomato Soup Died and Went to Heaven

My oven seems to be somehow broken. Every day, a new loaf of bread pops out of it. We just never manage to eat as much bread as my oven produces. I’ve already suggested we try to get it fixed, but, well, my husband doesn’t seem to take this problem very seriously! Luckily I remembered that a cousin of mine used to make a great Italian tomato-bread dish called Pappa al pomodoro. So I did a quick Google search, found Jamie Oliver’s version, modified it a bit – and voilà! The best tomato soup ever was born. And hey, it happens to be vegan!

To feed two moderately hungry people you need:

• 200g cherry tomatoes


• olive oil


• salt


• black pepper


• 1-2 garlic cloves


• fresh herbs of your liking – I used a mixture of basil, rosemary, and parsley

...and for the soup itself:

• ½ of a big red onion or 1 smallish


• 1-2 garlic cloves


• olive oil


• 100ml white wine


• 400g canned tomatoes


• 350ml water


• 5 slices of bread, preferably 2-3 days old  I used whole-grain sourdough bread - that's what my oven delivers ;) )


• salt and black pepper to taste


• fresh herbs of your liking – I used rosemary and parsley, and some basil to decorate

First, set your oven to 180 C. Halve the cherry tomatoes, peel and slice the garlic (not too thin, or they’ll burn) and place them with the herbs in an oven tray. Sprinkle generously with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 30-40 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn’t burn!

In the meantime, prepare the soup. Heat the oil in a pan, add chopped onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Then add the white wine and herbs and let boil for a couple of minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, water, salt, and pepper, and let simmer over a low heat for about 25-30 minutes. Now, cut the bread in cubes and place in the pan. Stir, and let simmer about 10 more minutes. The consistency should be more like that of a stew, not really of a soup, but if it’s really too thick, add some more water.

Divide the soup in two soup plates or bowls, top with baked cherry tomatoes and some fresh herbs. Serve with a glass of red wine – perfetto! For an extra kick, add some peperoncino.