Tomato and bread soup

This is a  great, classic soup that I love. You need only delicious tomatoes, a handful of basil, some stale bread, and twenty or so minutes. By the time you finish your glass of wine and set the table, the soup will be ready.

Enjoy the simplicity of this.

Olive oil
Black pepper
Vegetable broth
Garlic
smashed 
stale bread
Fresh, ripe tomatoes
coarsely chopped 
fresh basil
Soak the stale bread in a bowl of broth while you brown the garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Turn the heat to high and add the tomato, skin and all, to the pan. Cook over high heat, stirring slowly, and then add the basil. When the tomatoes have cooked for a while and have a thick consistency, take the bread out of the broth with your hands and squeeze and shred it into the tomatoes and basil. Serve in warm bowls and toss with additional olive oil. Sprinkle generously with freshly ground pepper.
This recipe if from my first cookbook, A Tuscan in the Kitchen.