Fresella

Name: Fresella (Bread Soup)
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: salt and pepper; salt and pepper; 1 large sweet onion, finely sliced, or 4-6 large spring onions, finely chopped; 10 pitted black olives, quartered; 2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped; 2 basil leaves, chopped; 6 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and finely mashed; 50 g Pantelleria salted capers, soaked, drained and finely chopped; 85 g small gherkins preserved in vinegar, sliced; 120 ml olive oil, preferably Pugliese; 400 g fresella; 600 g polpa di pomodoro or chunky passata; 600 g polpa di pomodoro or chunky passata; 2 celery stalks, trimmed and cut into small cubes; 1 large sweet onion, finely sliced, or 4-6 large spring onions, finely chopped

Bread Soup

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Antonio Carluccio – The Collection

By Antonio Carluccio

Published 2012

About

“Nothing is ever discarded in an Italian kitchen, with the imagination of the cook always finding a good use for leftovers. What was once the food of the poor -a bread and vegetable soup such as this – is now fashionable due to its simplicity, flavour and healthiness.”

Ingredients

400 g fresella
600 g polpa di pomodoro or chunky passata

Europe
Italy
Fish course
Pescatarian
Mediterranean
Leftovers
Soup

Method

Soften the fresella with a little water and then reduce to coarse crumbs. Place in a bowl, add all the other ingredients except for the olive oil and seasoning. Amalgamate and let the mixture rest for a couple of hours to allow all the flavours to infuse. Add the olive oil and seasoning and eat as a starter on hot summer days.

Alternatively, after softening the fresella you can leave it