Tuscan Bread and Tomato Soup (Pappa al Pomodoro)

Pappa al Pomodoro is one of my favorite Tuscan dishes, made with ripe tomatoes, stale bread, extra virgin olive oil, and fresh basil leaves. It's a simple, comforting recipe that I love making when I want a taste of Italy at home. Let me show you how to create this hearty tomato and bread soup!

If you like this recipe you might like my roasted tomato soup or my Tuscan white bean soup next.

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Jump To

• What Is Pappa al Pomodoro
• 🛒 Ingredients
• Equipment you need
• 🍽️ How to make Tuscan Bread and Tomato Soup
• What to serve with pappa al pomodoro:
• Recipe Tips
• Substitutions and Variations
• What to Serve With This Soup
• Storing and Freezing
• Some other recipes you'll love:
• 📖 Recipe
• Tuscan Bread and Tomato Soup (Pappa al Pomodoro)

Pappa al pomodoro is naturally gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free, dairy-free, and very budget friendly and great for meal-prep.

The last time I made this, I used a seeded sourdough loaf from a local bakery and a jar of my own home-canned tomatoes, and the soup barely needed anything else. What I love most about this recipe is its versatility: it thickens as it sits, tastes even better the next day, and turns leftover bread into something genuinely worth making again.

What Is Pappa al Pomodoro

Pappa al pomodoro is a traditional Tuscan soup made by simmering ripe or canned tomatoes with stale bread, garlic, olive oil, and basil until the bread fully absorbs the tomato and turns thick and custard-like. It is naturally gluten-free with the right bread swap, vegan, dairy-free, and budget-friendly, and it can be served warm, at room temperature, or even chilled.

Traditionally, this soup is made with authentic Tuscan bread, a bland, unsalted loaf that is nearly impossible to find outside Italy unless you bake your own. A good rustic, sturdy artisan bread is the closest substitute, and it works beautifully.

Before we get onto this really easy Tuscan recipe...

🍽️ How to make Tuscan Bread and Tomato Soup

Here is how to make this Italian tomato bread soup (the full recipe is below!):

• Step 1:Heat oil: In a large saute' pan or medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high until it's shimmering.
• Step 2: Add some garlic: Add garlic and cook until fragrant (no more than a minute, or it will brown).

• Step 3 Tomatoes: Add in the tomatoes and the juice and bring the tomatoes to a boil and use a wooden spoon to stir, if using plum tomatoes, breaking up the tomatoes while they're cooking. I used my own canned diced tomatoes, and they broke up a lot while cooking.
• Step 4 Season soup: Season with the salt and freshly ground pepper, and let the tomatoes cook and thicken for 20 minutes.

• Step 5 Add bread: Stir in the bread pieces and let simmer with the tomatoes until it's soft and has a custard like texture. Check the consistency of sauce: If it's getting too thick, add a little bit of vegetable broth or water (start with a ¼ cup).
• Step 6 Add fresh basil: Finally, stir in the fresh basil and stir to combine.
• Step 7 Serve: Serve immediately, garnished with extra basil and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

What to serve with pappa al pomodoro:

Tomato bread soup is total comfort food and it goes really nicely with any roasted vegetable, side dish, or bread.

• Focaccia >>> This is the best focaccia! It's an easy recipe for beginner bakers, and it is so perfect with this soup.
• Insalata mista >>> A really easy Italian salad that goes great with tomato soup.
• Panzanella Toscana >>> Another recipe with bread, this Tuscan salad is fantastic!
• Crusty bread >>> A homemade bread goes so nicely with the soup! Or try an easy psomi spitiko Greek bread.
• Rosemary breadsticks >>> If you love breadsticks, you must try these flavorful rosemary breadsticks!
• Chicken salad >>> The soup would go really nicely with this tasty salad.
• Grilled Chicken Salad >>> This Healthy Grilled Chicken Salad Recipe (Fresh + Easy) makes a delicious main dish salad. 

Recipe Tips

• Use quality tomatoes. Ripe fresh tomatoes or good canned San Marzano tomatoes both work beautifully, and the tomato flavor really carries this dish.
• Any bread age works. Stale, oven-dried, or fresh all produce a delicious soup, as long as the bread is a sturdy, good-quality artisan loaf that will not fall apart.
• Let it simmer slowly. A slow simmer lets the bread fully absorb the tomato, building the thick, hearty texture that defines this dish.
• Finish with good olive oil. A generous drizzle right before serving makes a real difference in flavor.
• Let the soup rest. Giving it a few minutes after cooking lets the flavors meld and the bread fully soften.

This soup is meant to be thick, that thick, bread-custard texture is the whole point. If you prefer a thinner tomato soup instead, my Roasted Tomato Soup is a great alternative.

Substitutions and Variations

• Bread: any rustic or crusty loaf works in place of traditional Tuscan bread. For gluten-free, use a sturdy gluten-free bread that holds up well in liquid.
• Tomatoes: fresh ripe tomatoes, canned San Marzano, cherry tomatoes, or even tomato sauce in a pinch all work.
• Herbs: basil is classic, but oregano, thyme, or parsley all work as a swap.
• Extra flavor: a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat, or a stir of Parmigiano Reggiano or balsamic vinegar right before serving.
• Stock: chicken or vegetable stock adds richness if the soup needs loosening; use vegetable stock or water to keep it vegan.

What to Serve With This Soup

My Focaccia is perfect alongside this soup, and a simple Insalata Mista rounds out the meal. Panzanella Toscana makes a fitting Tuscan pairing, and Rosemary Breadsticks or a loaf of Crusty No-Knead Italian Bread are always welcome on the side.

Storing and Freezing

• Refrigerate: Airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. The flavors deepen over time, so it often tastes even better the next day. Reheat on the stove over low heat, loosening with a little water or stock if needed.
• Freeze: Cool completely, then freeze in a freezer-safe container up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat on the stove.

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