My friend Brad Hunter is a great “gift giver”. Over the years I have received quite a few from him and they are all among of my favorites. Some folks have that knack. Brad is one of those folks.
He recently gave me a “cookbook-for-a-cause”. “Soup for Syria” is not just another cookbook. Many well-known chefs and cookbook authors contributed recipes for soups from around the world to raise funds for food relief efforts for Syrian refugees, of which at publication, numbered 3.8 million. Many, many of them children. Buy this beautifully photographed book, make some heart warming soup. Do what you can.
This Sunday afternoon I made an adaptation of the cover recipe “Tomato Basil Soup with Bread” a recipe from contributor Martyna Monaco. It’s crazy easy to make, very delicious and comforting.
Tomato Basil Soup with Bread
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4-5 thick slices day old rustic bread
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 3 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 10 fresh basil leaves
- 2 (28 oz) cans whole tomatoes in juice, cut up
- 4-5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Directions:
- In a large stock pot layer olive oil, bread slices, salt, oregano, garlic cloves, onion, basil leaves, tomatoes and stock. Bring to a boil.
- Turn heat to simmer for 30-40 minutes. Stir a few times. The bread will break up and thicken the soup.
- Serve hot with additional basil leaves.
Serving note: I topped each serving with cubed bread croutons and a scattered a bit of freshly grated Parmesan over the top.
Original recipe from: “Soup for Syria” published in 2016 by Interlink Publishing Group, Inc. Photographed by Barbara Abdeni Massaad.
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