There are certain simple, delicious dishes that are the building blocks of a home-cooked home-cooked meal. They keep making them, they always turn out perfectly and they give you the security to try new and challenging dishes. This soup is such a dish. You can serve it to friends and family, but you can also make it yourself: pour it into a nice bowl, and the bright red broth, sprinkled with basil and freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, gives you the opportunity to eat on the farm table feel, though the main ingredient came from a can.
Serves 4
¼ cup olive oil 1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves , minced One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and coarsely chopped, juice reserved
3 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth ½ loaf Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (3 cups) 1 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar Salt and freshly ground pepper ⅓ cup thinly sliced fresh basil ¼ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving
- In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook with stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and reserved juice and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Broth, bread, water, sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in the pot and simmer with occasional stirring until the bread has absorbed the liquid and the soup is thick (about 20 minutes). If the soup feels too dense when cooking, add another cup of water. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the soup in bowls and cover each bowl with about 1 tablespoon of grated Parmigiano Reggiano.