This is a traditional Tuscan soup from the area of Arezzo, made with bread grilled over an open fire and virgin olive oil, unfiltered, straight from the press—the frantoio. Believe me, a pot of beans never tasted this good. As bread is a principal ingredient here, use one with fine flavor, preferably an artisan-baked loaf that has great crust and an airy crumb with lots of holes. Old bread—pane vecchio—is best, because it is already dry, but day-old or even fresh bread can be used.
Recipe information
Yield
for 6 to 7 cups of finished soup, serving 5 or 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Toast 5 or 6 bread chunks slowly in a dry heavy skillet, such as cast iron, until completely crisp all the way through and deeply browned on both sides. If you happen to have a fire going, grill the bread, so the grill flavor can permeate the soup.
Step 2
Heat the broth to an active simmer in a sturdy 4-quart pot. Stir in the grilled bread chunks. If they’re floating in a lot of liquid, leave the pot uncovered; cover it if the broth just covers the bread. Cook slowly and steadily, anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, until the soup is thick and soft but the bread chunks still have shape and integrity. Turn the bread in the broth frequently, so it doesn’t stick to the bottom, but don’t mash it up.
Step 3
Taste and add salt, if necessary, and pepper. Serve right away in warm bowls, with generous amounts of fruity extra-virgin olive oil and freshly grated cheese.
