Acquacotta Maremmana

Acquacotta, or “cooked water”, is a traditional vegetable soup from the Maremma region in Tuscany. It was originally made by farmers with water, stale sourdough bread, onions, olive oil, and whatever vegetables and herbs were available. This soup is simple, but flavorful and can be enhanced with fish, eggs, or cheese. Acquacotta can be made with yesterday’s bread or toasted fresh bread, a “soffritto” base consisting of finely chopped onions, garlic, carrot, and celery, and then add tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes. At the end, you add the eggs and grated cheese and serve hot. Perfect for brunch or a light lunch, It is gluten-free and vegan (if you leave out the eggs and cheese). You can add four cups of Tuscan kale chopped or any other leafy greens in the last ten minutes of simmering to make the dish more colorful and nutritious. The kale will soften and wilt, giving the soup a slightly bitter taste and texture.s will wilt and soften, adding a slight bitterness and a chewy texture to the soup.

Ingredients

Serves 4 people.

• 4 onions
• ½ celery
• 500 g (17.6 oz) San Marzano tomatoes
• 1 hot red chili pepper
• 2 l (8.5 cups) vegetable broth
• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (EVO)
• 1 bunch of basil
• Salt to taste
• 8 slices of Tuscan bread
• 100 g (3.5 oz) pecorino romano cheese

Preparation:

• Peel and thinly slice the onions. Chop the celery and the carrot. Cut the chili pepper in half and remove the seeds. 
• In a large and deep pot over medium heat, heat some olive oil and sauté the onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and chili pepper until soft and golden, about 5 minutes.
• Add the peeled tomatoes and the vegetable broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add salt and pepper.
• Scoop the soup into individual terracotta bowls.
• Crack an egg in a separate dish, and then slide into the terracotta bowl.
• Sprinkle Tuscan pecorino cheese (less salty than its Roman counterpart) and let rest for 3-5 minutes, or until the eggs are set to your liking.

NOTE: The eggs will only partially cook in the hot soup. If you are like me and like your eggs well done, transfer the bowl with the cracked eggs to a broiler, and cook for a couple of minutes.