AModoMio

  • recipes
  • essentials
  • sweets
  • garden
  • German
  • Italian
menu icon
go to homepage
  • recipes
  • essentials
  • sweets
  • garden
  • German
  • Italian
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • recipes
  • essentials
  • sweets
  • garden
  • German
  • Italian
×
home » dishes » Soup

La pappa al pomodoro. Florentine tomato soup

  • German
  • Italian

Sun-ripened tomatoes, the delicious smell of garlic, basil, and white bread. Tomato soup is, without a doubt, the flavor of summer. In Florence, they lovingly call it pappa al pomodoro. Pappa is the Italian word for children’s porridge. A truly fantastic definition of the bond we Italians have with tomato soup!

jump to recipe

Freedom, but with some ground rules

As you might have expected, the recipe for pappa al pomodoro is very simple. And, as is so often the case in Italian cuisine, there are several different ways to prepare this dish, and the choice of ingredients can vary as well. Depending on the region of Tuscany, people like to use other herbs or add some extra vegetables. Only two ingredients are generally frowned upon in this delicious tomato soup: salted or dark bread and cheese. So, as you can see, there are some similarities with children. If you follow the ground rules, you are allowed to enjoy some freedom!

La pappa al pomodoro. Florentine tomato soup - recipe

Well-know variations

In San Vincenzo, in the province of Livorno, for example, people replace basil with nepitella, which is calamint that adds a fresh aroma to the soup. Some Florentines prefer to use clear vegetable broth instead of water. And others use onion and root vegetables instead of garlic. In Siena, the people believe that frying the bread in olive oil, as well as rubbing some garlic on the bread before adding it to the soup, creates the perfect tomato soup with a very intensive flavour.

Stupid bread

Classic Tuscan bread is unsalted. This has been the case since the late Middle Ages, when access roads to Florence were closed by the Pisans during armed conflicts. There were more than enough supplies – except for salt, which was rather expensive and had to be imported. Because of this, the bread remained unsalted and turned into a symbol of the fight for freedom. That this was a concern of the people is still evident today in familiar sayings. The salt-free bread is called pane sciocco, which can be translated as “stupid bread”. If someone in Italy has “no salt in his head”, this means that this person is a little stupid.

📖 Recipe

La pappa al pomodoro. Florentine tomato soup - recipe

La pappa al pomodoro

Florentine tomato soup
[en]5 from 1 vote[/en][de]5 von 1 Bewertung[/de][it]5 da 1 voti[/it]
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins
Course Main Course, main dish, Soup
Cuisine Italian, Tuscany
Servings 4 serves
Calories 154 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 400 g tomatoes, ripe
  • 200 g bread, white, unsalted, hard
  • 1 clove garlic
  • basil, or calamint, rock thyme, fresh
  • water
  • salt
  • olive oil, extra virgin
  • pepper, or chilli pepper

Instructions
 

  • Place the tomatoes in boiling water for 2 minutes. Then peel the tomatoes, cut them in half and remove the seeds. Cut the tomatoes and the bread into pieces, chop the garlic and put everything in a pot with the basil or mint leaves. Cover the ingredients with water
  • Simmer the soup at low heat. Stir occasionally until the tomatoes and the bread are fully cooked and the pappa is creamy. Season to taste with salt, puree the soup if you like. Add some fresh olive oil and enjoy, never hot, but rather warm or lukewarm. If you like it spicy, consider seasoning your soup with some pepper or chilli. Add some fresh herbs and roasted bread cubes to finish off.

Notes

Tip: if you want to prepare pappa al pomodoro in winter, use strained tomatoes instead of fresh ones – they are more aromatic

Nutrition

Calories: 154 kcalCarbohydrates: 29 gProtein: 6 gFat: 2 gSodium: 265 mgPotassium: 328 mgFiber: 3 gSugar: 6 gVitamin A: 833 IUVitamin C: 14 mgCalcium: 79 mgIron: 2 mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @a.modo_mio or tag #a-modo-mio!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share by Email Share on Facebook

Buon appetito!

Soup

  • cucumber soup
    Cold cucumber soup with yogurt and mint
  • Kürbiscremesuppe
    Pumpkin soup with orange juice and pistachios
  • Passatelli Nudel Rezept
    Passatelli, the somewhat different pasta
  • Linsen Suppe Rezept
    Chestnut and lentil soup. A lucky charm from Abruzzo
5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Workshops

In einer Gruppe von maximal 10 Personen bereiten wir verschiedene Pasta-Sorten und die dazu passenden Saucen. Ich zeige euch meine Kenntnisse, sowie viele Tipps und Tricks in der Herstellung von Pasta.
Wir verköstigen die selbst-gemachten Nudeln dann gemeinsam. Dies mit vielen Geschichten der italienischen Küche, die das italienische Lebensgefühl „la dolce vita“ vermitteln.
* * * Alle Termine * * *

  • 04.10.25 PASTA Basic

  • Grüne Gnocchi mit Bärlauch und Ricotta
    18.10.2025 GNOCCHI

  • Fettuccine
    28.02.2026 PASTA BASIC

  • workshop
    21.03.2026 PASTA BASIC

Mein Buch

a modo mio das buch

Du findest im Buch eine Küche ohne Schnickschnack, original italienisch, meist vegetarisch und genau richtig für den Alltag. Viele Rezepte stammen aus unseren Familienkochbüchern, inspiriert von Mamma Maria oder Nonna Nina. Ich gebe natürlich auch Tipps und Tricks für perfekte Pasta, Risotto oder selbst gebackenes Brot. Zu meinen Lieblingen gehören ebenso italienisches Streetfood sowie Eingemachtes und Eingelegtes. Da werde ich wieder zum Kind, schleiche in die Vorratskammer und nasche heimlich vom Milchkaramell!

Hier geht es zu den Rezensionen

auf  Genialokal.de bestellen

Rezepte der Saison

  • Buccellato - recipe
    Buccellato, Tuscan Striezel with a walnut heart

Hallo ich bin Alessandra,

Willkommen auf meinem Blog
der italienischen Gerichte und Geschichten.
mehr zu mir
Foto: Anna Stöcher

Gestalte Dein persönliches Menü

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Impressum
  • Datenschutzerklärung

Community

  • WORKSHOPS buchen
  • Email Anmeldung

Contact

  • Kontakt
  • Mediakit Download

Copyright © 2025 AModoMio

  • German
  • Italian

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.