Pappa al Pomodor
Makes 8 Servings

Ingredients:

Five 1/2-inch-thick slices Italian bread, crusts removed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
1/2 cup finely diced onions
6 garlic cloves, crushed
2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice, juices reserved, or one 35-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice, juices reserved
4 cups Chicken Stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 fresh basil leaves, washed and dried

Procedure:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast until light golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Remove and set aside.

In a deep, heavy 4- to 5-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic cloves and cook, stirring, until golden, about 6 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and their juices to the pot.  Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  Add the toasted bread and stock and return to a boil.  Season lightly with salt and pepper, then add the basil leaves and adjust the level of heat to a simmer.  Cook, uncovered, whisking occasionally to break up the pieces of bread, until the mixture is dense and silky, about 40 minutes.

If desired, remove the garlic cloves and basil leaves.  Pass the soup through a fine sieve, forcing the solids through with a ladle.  (If necessary, first pass the soup through a food mil fitted with the fine disc.)  Correct the seasoning.  Serve in warm bowls, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil.

copyright Lidia Bastianich

Servings: 10

INGREDIENTS
FOR COOKING THE BEANS:
1 pound (about 2-1/2 cups) dry cannellini or other small dried white beans, soaked overnight or quick-soaked (instructions below)
4 quarts cold water plus more if needed
3 bay leaves
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1-1/2 teaspoons salt plus more if needed

FOR THE GARLICKY SOFFRITTO:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 big cloves garlic, sliced (about 1/3 cup)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon peperoncino or crushed pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS

TO PREPARE THE BEANS
Soak beans overnight, or bring them to a boil in water and let sit for one hour, off the fire.

COOKING THE BEANS

1. Drain the soaked beans and put them in the pot with the water, bay leaves, and olive oil. Cover the pot and bring it to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. When the water is at a full boil, set the cover ajar, adjust the heat to maintain a steady gentle boiling and cook for an hour more, until the beans are tender.
2. Stir in the salt, uncover and continue cooking at a bubbling boil for another hour or more, until the beans and broth have reduced to 3-quarts. Lower the heat as the liquid evaporates and the soup base thickens, stirring now and then to prevent scorching.

FLAVORING THE BASE WITH THE SOFFRITTO

1. When the soup base is sufficiently reduced, make the soffritto. Heat the olive oil and the sliced garlic in a skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes or so, shaking the pan now and then, until the slices are sizzling. Drop in the pepper flakes, stir with the garlic and cook another minute or until the garlic is just starting to color.
2. From the soup pot, ladle out a cup of the simmering bean broth and pour it into the skillet. Let it sizzle and start to boil, shake and stir up the soffritto, and cook it for a couple of minutes in the broth. Then pour it all back into the bean pot, scraping in every bit of the soffritto or just rinse the skillet out with more broth. Simmer the soup base for another 5 minutes, with the soffritto, then remove from the heat.
3. The base is ready for a finished soup now or let the whole pot cool; pick out the bay leaves and discard. The soup will keep refrigerated for 3 or 4 days or frozen, in tightly sealed containers, for 4 to 6 months. Don’t forget to leave room for the soup to expand when it freezes.

Classic Chicken Broth

Ingredients

9 cups water
1 whole 3- to 3½ pound chicken, fat trimmed and cut into 10 or 12 pieces
1 cup rice wine or sake
6 slices fresh ginger, each the size of a quarter, smashed lightly with the flat side of a knife
6 whole scallions, ends trimmed, smashed lightly with the flat side of a knife

1 small head Chinese cabbage (preferably Napa) (about 1½ pounds)
1 teaspoon canola or corn oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed lightly with the flat side of a knife
2 tablespoons rice wine or sake
½ pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems trimmed, and cut into quarters
2 ounces bean threads (cellophane noodles), softened in hot water to cover (if unavailable, substitute 1/3 pound thin rice noodles or vermicelli, softened in warm water to cover)
2 teaspoons salt

1. Prepare the Classic Chicken Broth by putting the water with the chicken, rice wine or sake, ginger slices, and scallions in a large pot and bringing to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 1½ hours . Remove the chicken pieces and skim the broth to remove any impurities.
2. Using a sharp knife, cut away the stem of the cabbage and discard. Cut the cabbage in half and cut the leaves into 2-inch squares, separating the leafy sections from the tough ones. Place the cabbage sections in a bowl. Set by the stove with the shiitake mushrooms.
3. Heat a Dutch oven or casserole, add the oil, and heat until very hot. Add the garlic cloves and the harder sections of the cabbage and stir-fry over high heat about 1 minute. Add the rice wine or sake, cover, and continue cooking about 5 minutes, until tender. Add the leafier sections, the shiitake mushrooms, and the chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 20 minutes uncovered.
4. Drain the bean threads and cut them into 4-inch lengths. Add them to the soup and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Return the chicken pieces to the soup and stir in the salt. Ladle into soup bowls and serve.

© 2008 Nina Simonds “A Spoonful of Ginger”