Pappa al pomodoro

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1-2 cups chopped yellow onion (2 onions)
• (optional) 1 cup medium-diced carrots, unpeeled (3 carrots)
• (optional) 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, cored, and medium-diced (1 1/2 cups)
• 4 cloves garlic
• ~3-4 cups cubes bread (~1cm) with crusts removed
• 2 (28-ounce) cans tomato (diced)
• 3-4 cups stock, preferably homemade
• (optional) 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Parmigiano

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
• Add the onions, carrots, fennel, and garlic and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, until tender.
• Add the cubed bread 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. If the tomatoes are diced already, skip this step.
• Add the tomatoes to the soup.

( Add the tomatoes to the pot along with the stock, red wine, basil, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper.

• Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 45 minutes or until the consistency is right.