“As its name implies,” the Milan-born Anna del Conte explains in her book of northern Italian food, this Tuscan tomato soup “is like a pap you give to babies”. Pap doesn’t sound very appetising, though, so “bread soup” is perhaps slightly sexier, but, to be honest, bread and tomato porridge would be more accurate. Whatever you call it (and I’d advise sticking to the Italian), it’s a regional classic and a surprisingly pleasing way to use up both over- or underripe tomatoes and stale bread – a simple, thrifty marriage of good ingredients that makes a lovely late summer or early autumn lunch or supper. Oh, and it happens to be vegan, too.
