Tomato and Bread Soup

This lovely soup is both filling and comforting. It is a great way to use up that stale loaf of French bread. Feel free to add more fresh herbs to your liking. I also just eyeball the amount of cheese I use. I tend to use a mixture of Parmesan with Romano or Pecorino cheeses.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 172 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups stale white bread, cut into cubes
• 2 (12 ounce) cans diced tomatoes

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Stir the pepper flakes into the oil and add the bread cubes. Cook the bread cubes until lightly brown. Remove bread cubes to paper towels, reserving the oil in the stockpot.

Step 2

Pour 2 tablespoons olive oil into the stockpot. Cook the garlic and onion in the oil until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, basil and drained bread cubes; cook about 10 minutes. Add the broth, parsley, and Parmesan cheese to the tomato mixture; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 to 30 minutes. Garnish with basil before serving.