Pappa Al Pomodoro

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Ingredients

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
4-5 slices of dense day old bread torn into pieces (like ciabatta or sourdough), about 3 cups loosely packed
4 cups chicken broth or water
1 28-ounce can or jar of chopped organic tomatoes with juices (or if it is summer, 3 1/2 cups chopped ripe tomatoes)
The rind of a parmesan (optional)
Salt and vinegar to taste
Fresh basil
Red pepper flakes
Parmesan cheese

Sometimes you have time to spend a whole day cooking and humming around your kitchen in a fancy apron. And sometimes you just fling open your pantry and hope that dinner has just magically appeared. Well ta da! Here is dinner, Pappa al Pomodoro (Simple Tomato and Bread Soup), and it is almost magic.

Submitted by:
Laurie David & Kirstin Uhrenholdt Laurie David is an environmentalist, author, and producer of the Academy Award–winning film An Inconvenient Truth. Kirstin Uhrenholdt grew up on a fruit-farm in Denmark, pickin’ n’ pruning and making pie. She then, ended up on a cargo ship to Greenland, doing a lot — more than you can imagine.

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MAKE IT

Heat an ovenproof soup pot over medium high heat then drizzle in the olive oil, add the onions and garlic, sauté until the onions are very soft.
Throw in the bread, sauté until starting to turn golden, then add the tomatoes and parmesan rind to the pot.
Simmer on medium low heat for 15-20 minutes.
Remove the parmesan rind.
Season the soup with salt and a splash of vinegar to taste, shower a bit of parmesan on top of the soup and put the pot under the broiler until the parmesan and the tips of bread sticking up start to brown and sizzle (this last step is optional).
Serve the soup straight out of the pot with hand torn basil, a drizzle of olive oil, red pepper flakes, and a side of parmesan.

CLEAN IT

Look for canned tomatoes marked “BPA-free” (or buy options in jars or tetra paks) to avoid exposure to this hormone-disrupting compound. Learn more.

GREEN IT

Americans throw away almost 3,000 pounds of food every second! By making “pantry dinners” like this one, you’re keeping food from going bad and ending up in the garbage. What a waste!

MAKE IT FUN

Kids of almost every age can tear the basil. What do they think of the smell? Also, invite children to explore the pantry and look for ingredients to toss in. Maybe you’ll find you have a natural chef in your midst!