Tuscany’s rolling hills of farmland really stands it’s self in good stead for amazing cuisine. The fresh local produce doesn’t need anything complicated to create a masterpiece. It’s hearty soups, stews and sauces are kept simple, and that’s best.



I could have my pick of soups from this region; ribollita, pappa al pomodoro, but what really draws me to Acquacotta is the beautiful poached egg.

As your spoon slips in to the yolk, that silky golden goodness spills down in to the soup adding a richness that I couldn’t dream up. Of course you could serve the soup without it, but you’d be missing out terribly.

The ciabatta it sits on begins to soak up the deep savoury flavour of the soup, led by the porcini mushrooms. It breaks apart under the spoon, adding it’s robust texture to the mix.

Acquacotta is rustic, earthy cuisine at it’s best. You’d never imagine this soup takes only 30 minutes to concoct.





To serve four, you’ll need:

50ml olive oil

1 carrot

1 onion

1 stick of celery

10g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked.

400g tomatoes

1 litre of chicken stock

A handful of chopped parsley

A slice of stale ciabatta

1 egg

4 Tbsp grated parmesan Begin by dicing the soffritto of carrot, onion and celery and add to a large, heavy bottomed pan to saute in the olive oil. As the onion begins to turn translucent, add the loosely chopped mushrooms and the tomatoes. Allow to cook for a few minutes until the skins of the tomatoes have split. Now it’s time to go in with the chicken stock, and if you’ve used dried mushrooms, you might want to add a little of the reserved liquid from that too. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes or until the tomatoes are softened and have broken apart a little. Whilst the soup finishes, add 4 eggs to the pot to poach. If you’re worried about this step, you can always poach them separately. In a soup bowl, add a slice of ciabatta to each bowl, then top with a poached egg. Stir the parsley through the soup and spoon over the eggs. Finish with a tablespoon of parmesan per bowl. Enjoy this hearty tuscan soup!