Acquacotta Maremmana
A rustic Tuscan vegetable and tomato soup ladled over toasted stale bread, crowned with a softly poached egg and grated Pecorino.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 65 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 485 kcal
Equipment
- •Heavy-based saucepan or Dutch oven
- •Slotted spoon
- •Ladle
- •Toaster or grill pan
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 485 kcal
- fat
- 24 g
- carbs
- 46 g
- fibre
- 6 g
- protein
- 21 g
- calories
- 485 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Warm the extra-virgin olive oil in a wide heavy-based pan over medium-low heat.
- 2
Add the sliced onions, celery, and chilli flakes with a pinch of salt.
- 3
Cook gently for fifteen minutes until the onions are sweet, translucent, and soft.
- 4
Stir in the sliced garlic and Swiss chard, cooking until the leaves wilt down completely.
- 5
Add the crushed tomatoes and warm water, then bring the broth to a gentle simmer.
- 6
Simmer uncovered for twenty-five minutes until the soup reduces slightly and develops rich flavour.
- 7
Season the vegetable broth to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- 8
Toast the bread slices until deeply golden, then rub one side with the whole garlic clove.
- 9
Place one garlic-rubbed bread slice into the bottom of each wide soup bowl.
- 10
Gently crack the eggs directly into the simmering broth and poach for three minutes until the whites set.
- 11
Carefully lift one egg into each bowl with a slotted spoon and ladle hot soup over the bread.
- 12
Scatter generously with grated Pecorino Toscano and finish with a drizzle of raw olive oil.
Chef's tips
Take time to soften the onions and celery slowly at the start, as this soffritto creates the soup foundation. Ensure the broth is at a very gentle simmer when cracking the eggs so they hold their shape without breaking apart.
Ingredient substitutions
- Swiss chard → cavolo nero (Tuscan black kale) or wild chicory
- stale Tuscan bread → stale country sourdough loaf
- Pecorino Toscano DOP → mature Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano
Storage
Store leftover soup without the bread and eggs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Reheat the vegetable broth over medium heat until simmering, then poach fresh eggs and pour over freshly toasted bread.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Rushing the onion soffritto, which leaves a raw bite instead of a sweet, savoury base.
- •Boiling the broth violently when cooking the eggs, which disintegrates the delicate whites.
- •Using fresh soft bread instead of dry, stale crusty bread that can absorb liquid without turning to mush.
Serving suggestions
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