The Simple Tuscan Soup I’m Making All Winter Long

It's the simple dishes that I love the most. The ones that comfort me in the cold dregs of winter, like a warm hug in a bowl. I love the sound of a pot gently simmering away on the stove as I sit reading, waiting for my delightful dinner.

So, when I came across a recipe for acquacotta—a rustic peasant soup originating from Tuscany—I was intrigued. It sounded like just the kind of simple meal I needed to warm me through. Since then, I've enjoyed it time and time again, riffing a little bit here and there to use up some wilted greens or leftover beans. But it's still just as delicious prepared simply with a few humble ingredients.

I consulted a few sources to develop this recipe, including Emiko Davies Acquacotta, Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, and Juls' Kitchen. During testing, I made a few tweaks to simplify my version of the recipe. For example, traditionally, a full slice of bread sits at the bottom of each bowl, soaking up the soup. I found this a bit cumbersome to eat, however, so I recommend tearing it into small pieces instead. Otherwise, I tried to keep the recipe true to tradition.

What Is Acquacotta?

Acquacotta is a bread-based soup that literally translates to "cooked water." It originates from Maremma, a coastal region of Italy. Acquacotta is a peasant dish, traditionally prepared as a way to use up very old, stale bread by softening it in a broth made from onions, tomatoes, olive oil, and water. It's often served with a poached egg on top for additional heft.

There are many similar Tuscan soups, including pappa al pomodoro, which is a bit thicker and more porridge-like in consistency, and ribollita, which usually features beans and other vegetables. Acquacotta remains my favorite, though, for its cozy simplicity.

Tips and Tricks for Making Acquacotta

• Use stale, crusty bread: The bread should be very stale so it doesn't disintegrate in the hot liquid. If your bread is still fresh, pop it in the oven at 300°F for 10 to 15 minutes until it’s dried out.
• Make the soup separately: The soup keeps very well without the eggs. It can be made 1 to 2 days in advance and reheated just before serving. For make-ahead individual servings, reheat just the amount of soup you'd like for dinner and poach however many eggs in the soup that you'd like.

Recipe Variations

This recipe is very much about using what you have on hand, so I recommend the following tweaks if you want to play around:

• Add a cup of cooked white beans when simmering the soup for a bit more heartiness.
• Stir in a handful of chopped kale just before poaching the eggs.
• When fresh tomatoes are in season, they're a great substitute for the canned version.
  

Sauté the vegetables:

In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil and red pepper flakes over medium heat until sizzling, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the onion, celery, garlic, and salt and sauté until the vegetables are well softened and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Simmer the soup:

Transfer the tomatoes to a medium bowl. Squeeze the whole tomatoes with your hands until crushed into small pieces. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pot, along with the broth, water, and a big pinch of salt.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the soup until thickened but still soupy, 30 to 40 minutes.

Poach the eggs:

Season the soup one last time with salt as desired. Crack each egg, one at a time, into four places in the surface of the soup, leaving a little room in between them.

Cover the pot with a lid and simmer until the whites are opaque and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve:

Divide the bread among 4 soup bowls. Use a deep kitchen spoon to carefully remove each egg from the pot and transfer them to the bowls. Fill the bowls with the broth around the egg, garnish with the Pecorino cheese, drizzle with extra olive oil, and serve.

Leftover soup (without the eggs) can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Reheat the soup until simmering, adding a splash of water if needed to loosen the broth. Once simmering, you can poach additional eggs in the broth and serve.

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