Tuscan acquacotta soup (acquacotta, region Tuscany)

Ingredients (4 servings)

4 onion of medium size

a half of a green celery stalk

500g of fresh tomatoes or tinned peeled tomatoes

1 or 2 chili

2 litres of vegetal stock

2 eggs

50 g of extra virgin olive oil

100 of grated pecorino cheese

8 slices of dried Tuscan bread or slices of fresh bread toasted in the oven

basil leaves (as an alternative use deep frozen basil)

salt

Ideally use terracotta dishes to serve the soup. Otherwise use ordinary dishes.

Preparation

Chop the onions, remove the hard filaments from the celery stalk and dice it.

Heat some oil in a casserole with high brims and cook the onions until they look softer and start releasing some water. Add the dices celery and let the vegetables stew on a low fire until they look almost cooked. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking for another 30 minutes. Add some vegetable stock every now and then to the keep the soup well moist.

Whisk the eggs in a bowl and pour them little by little into the soup while constantly stirring. Add some salt if the soup is bland and let it rest for a couple of minutes. 

Place a couple of dried (or toasted) slices of bread and a tablespoon of grated pecorino in each dish and pour the hot soup on it. Sprinkle with some fresh olive oil and decorate with basil leaves. Serve immediately.