Cialledda Calda
A comforting winter bread soup from Matera made with stale durum wheat bread steeped in an aromatic broth with garlic, bay leaves and poached eggs.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 410 kcal
Equipment
- •Large saucepan
- •Ladle
- •Soup bowls
- •Chef's knife
- •Cutting board
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 48 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 16 g
- calories
- 410 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Tear the stale bread into bite-sized chunks and divide equally among four deep soup bowls.
- 2
Heat the olive oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat.
- 3
Add the crushed garlic cloves, sliced onion and bay leaves to the pan.
- 4
Cook gently for 4 minutes until the onion is soft and sweet without browning.
- 5
Stir in the crushed tomatoes and dried oregano, simmering for 5 minutes.
- 6
Pour in the hot water or broth and add the salt.
- 7
Simmer the broth gently for 10 minutes so the flavours infuse thoroughly.
- 8
Crack the eggs carefully one by one into the simmering liquid.
- 9
Poach the eggs for 3 to 4 minutes until the whites are set and yolks remain soft.
- 10
Ladle one poached egg and the hot aromatic broth over each bowl of stale bread.
- 11
Dust with grated Pecorino Lucano and finish with a thread of olive oil.
Chef's tips
Use dense, crusty durum wheat bread like Pane di Matera, which absorbs the broth without disintegrating into mush. Keep the broth at a low simmer when adding the eggs so the whites stay compact and neat.
Ingredient substitutions
- Pane di Matera → any crusty country sourdough or rustic durum wheat loaf
- Pecorino Lucano → Pecorino Romano or Canestrato Pugliese
Storage
Store leftover broth in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days, assembling with fresh bread and eggs when needed.
Reheating
Reheat the broth in a saucepan until piping hot before ladling over fresh stale bread.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using soft sliced sandwich bread, which instantly turns to paste when hot broth is added.
- •Boiling the broth violently while poaching, which tears the delicate egg whites apart.
- •Discarding the bay leaves too early, leading to an under-flavoured broth.
Serving suggestions
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