I chose to make this soup simply because it was a cold day and it caught my eye. I have made one other version of Pappa al Pomodoro which I found incredibly delicious but this one was even better. I assume that the “real” version of this soup is much more simple – that’s the beauty of Italian home cooking, right? But I have to say that I loved the boost of flavor that carrot and fennel added here, and I loved the textural contrast of the croutons and crispy basil on top.

I served big bowls of the soup, the flatbread, and a big salad with lots of yummy things in it (avacado, mushrooms, tomatoes, hearts of palm, etc.) For dessert, a three layer cake with Kahlua in the cake, the custard in between the layers and in the frosting. I did not take a picture of it because, in spite of taking a cake decorating class last weekend, it was crooked and had lots of crumbs in the frosting!

Other vegan soup recipes on DanaTreat:
Tome Yum Soup with Tofu and Mushrooms
Orange Pepper Soup
Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

Pappa al Pomodoro
Adapted from Barefoot Contessa’s Back to Basics
Serves 6-8

I intended to vegetarian-ize this recipe by substituting vegetable stock for the chicken stock, and by leaving out the pancetta called for in the garnish. I unintentionally vegan-ized it by forgetting to add Parmesan cheese right before serving. If you want the cheese, add 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan either to the whole pot right before serving, or add it to the individual bowls.

Olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup medium diced carrots
1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and medium-diced
4 tsp. minced garlic
3 cups (1 inch) diced ciabatta bread
2 (28 ounce) cans good quality Italian plum tomatoes
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 dry red wine
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the topping:
3 cups (1 inch) diced ciabatta bread
30 whole fresh basil leaves
Olive oil

Heat a large stockpot over medium heat. Add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom, then add the onions, carrots, and fennel. Cook for 7 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Add the ciabatta cubes and cook for 5 more minutes.

Place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process just until coarsely chopped. (DN: I just stuck my immersion blender directly into the can to save washing the food processor.) Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the vegetable stock, red wine, basil, 1 tbsp. salt, and 1 1/2 tsp. pepper. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. For the topping, place the ciabatta and basil on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss well. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, until all the ingredients are crisp. The basil leaves will turn dark and crisp, which is perfectly fine.

Reheat the soup, if necessary, and beat with a wire whisk until the bread is broken up. (DN: I used my immersion blender again here.) Serve hot sprinkled with topping.

In my opinion, it is really easy to “over do” vegetarian food. That may sound strange to someone who is not familiar with it – someone who thinks that vegetarians only eat salads and a variety of sprouts. But the truth is, there is often this implied need to compensate for lack of meat. Whether it is conscious or sub-conscious, it is something I notice in the vegetarian dishes of many restaurants and in a lot of my cookbooks. I even notice it in the recipes I am drawn to. I tend to see something simple and pass it by for something more complicated with twice the number of ingredients.

There are certain cookbook authors who have helped me correct this tendency – at least part of the time. One of them is Patricia Wells. When I was looking for something to serve with a Baked Arugula Omelet and the lentils I made last week, I stumbled upon this Roasted Orange Pepper Soup. I scanned the list of ingredients and, although my first instinct was to make something more involved, I ultimately decided it would match the rest of my meal perfectly.

The beauty of this soup is that it is a perfect first course for almost any meal. It is light but with pronounced flavors, thanks to the roasting of the peppers. It has that dreamy creamy texture but without any cream. Like most soups, this one can be made a day or two in advance, and you can even roast the peppers a day or two before you make the actual soup. I had leftovers so I reheated it last night for guests and added about 1/2 cup of cooked rice to each bowl to make it more of a main course. Incredibly versatile and yet oh so simple.

Recipe Note: To roast peppers, preheat an oven to 450 degrees. Place peppers on a baking sheet and bake in the oven, turning occasionally, until skin is quite black in places, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and place a long sheet of foil over the baking sheet. Wait 10 minutes, then remove foil. Allow peppers to cool enough to handle, then peel the skin away. Do this over a bowl so you catch all the delicious juices. Discard the seeds and inner membranes.

Roasted Orange Pepper Soup
Adapted from Vegetable Harvest
Serves 8

Wells suggests serving each bowl with a drizzle of pistachio, walnut, or olive oil as a garnish. I skipped that step.

Olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
Sea Salt
2 lbs. orange peppers, roasted, peeled, and sliced
2 quarts vegetable stock
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
Freshly ground pepper

1. Heat a stock pot over low heat and add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the onions and a healthy pinch of salt and sweat – cook, covered, over low heat until soft – for 4-5 minutes. Add the sliced peppers and cook for 4-5 minutes more. Add the stock and the potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, covered, until the potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.

2. In a food processor or with a blender, or an immersion blender, puree in batches. Taste for seasoning and serve.