Traditional Acquacotta Soup

Heat the Oil:

• In a large saucepan, pour in 3 tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat.

Sauté the Vegetables:

• Add the chopped celery, carrots, finely chopped red onion, and garlic to the saucepan.
• Sprinkle in the 2 teaspoons of fresh thyme leaves.
• Sauté the mixture for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.

Prepare the Porcini Mushrooms:

• While the vegetables are cooking, take 50g of dried porcini mushrooms and place them in a bowl.
• Cover the mushrooms with hot water and let them soak for 15 minutes until they become soft and swollen.
• Once softened, drain the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid. Roughly chop the mushrooms into smaller pieces.

Add Mushrooms to Vegetables:

• After the initial vegetables have softened, add the chopped porcini mushrooms to the saucepan.
• Pour in the reserved soaking liquid from the mushrooms.
• Cook this mixture for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Incorporate the Tomatoes:

• Stir in the 225g of chopped and deseeded plum tomatoes into the saucepan.
• Allow the mixture to cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to break down and release their juices.

Add Chicken Stock:

• Pour in 850ml of chicken stock and bring the soup to a gentle simmer.
• Let it simmer for a few minutes to meld the flavors together.

Poach the Eggs:

• In a separate large saucepan, fill it with water and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
• Carefully crack each of the 6 eggs into the simmering water.
• Poach the eggs for 3-4 minutes, or until the whites are set but the yolks remain runny.
• Use a slotted spoon to gently remove each poached egg from the water and set aside.

Finish the Soup:

• Stir 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley into the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Mix in the torn-up pieces of toasted bread, allowing them to soak up the broth.

Serve:

• Ladle the soup into 6 bowls.
• Carefully place a poached egg on top of each bowl of soup.
• Garnish with extra thyme leaves for added flavor and presentation.

Enjoy: