A bowlful of our daily bread

Soups thickened with fresh or stale bread are ubiquitous throughout the Mediterranean — indeed, wherever bread is a staple. The simplest are made with thick, toasted slices of bread, sometimes rubbed with garlic, arranged in wide bowls and covered with soup. They can be topped with poached eggs for a satisfying meal. Other bread soups are thick, paplike dishes: chunks of bread are added to the soup and simmered until they break down, thickening the broth. The most famous Italian versions are pappa al pomodoro and ribollita, which is usually made with leftover bean and vegetable soup that is reheated and blended with bread. Portugal has an array of bread soups called açordas, too, but the Mediterranean region isn’t the only place to look for them. In Scandinavia, you’ll find soups made with dark bread and beer, as well as one of my favorites, a sweet apple spice soup thickened with whole-grain bread. Although some bread soups are very simple mixtures of bread and broth, the ones I love most are packed with produce. And while the traditional versions of the Mediterranean soups are made with white bread, there’s no reason not to use whole-grain breads in these recipes. I don’t recommend sourdough, however, because the flavor is too strong. Those of you celebrating Passover will be saving these recipes for another time, of course. But here’s an alternative perfect for this week: my favorite matzo balls. Tuscan Bread and Tomato Soup Called pappa al pomodoro, this humble mixture of bread, tomatoes, garlic and basil has a luxurious flavor. Although the soup is traditionally made with unsalted Tuscan bread, it works beautifully with any country bread. 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 small onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 (28-ounce) can chopped tomatoes, with juice 2 tablespoons tomato paste Pinch of sugar Pinch of red chili flakes Salt and freshly ground pepper 4 cups water 1 pound stale country bread, crusts removed, cut into cubes (about 7 cups) 2 to 3 tablespoons slivered fresh basil 1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion, and cook, stirring, until tender, about five minutes. Meanwhile, pulse the tomatoes in a food processor fitted with the steel blade until coarsely blended. 2. Add the garlic to the pot. Cook, stirring, for about a minute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, red chili flakes, and salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have cooked down, about 10 minutes. 3. Stir the bread cubes into the tomatoes. Add the water, half the basil and salt to taste. Increase the heat, and simmer, stirring and mashing the bread, for about 10 minutes until the soup is thick, like pap. Stir in the remaining basil, and taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve hot, warm or room temperature with the remaining olive oil drizzled over each serving. Yield: Serves six to eight. Advance preparation: This soup can be made a day ahead and will be even more flavorful the second day. I reheat mine in a microwave. Nutritional information per serving (six servings): 258 calories; 1 gram saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 41 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 594 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 6 grams protein Nutritional information per serving (eight servings): 193 calories; 1 gram saturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 31 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 446 milligrams sodium (does not include salt to taste); 5 grams protein