Acquacotta (Tuscan Vegetable Soup with Poached Eggs)
A rustic Tuscan soup of soffritto, tomatoes and cavolo nero, ladled over bread with a softly poached egg.
Made with Soffritto and Homemade vegetable stock. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time45 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £1.74 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Warm the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add your ready made soffritto (see the base recipe) and stir for 3 minutes.
- 2
Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, mashing them with a spoon, until the sauce thickens.
5 min - 3
Pour in your homemade vegetable stock (see the base recipe) and bring to the boil. Add the cavolo nero and simmer for 15 minutes until soft and tender.
15 min - 4
Season well. Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer and crack the eggs into the soup, spaced apart. Poach for 3 to 4 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are soft.
3 min 30 s - 5
Put a slice of toasted bread in each warm bowl. Carefully ladle the soup and an egg over each.
- 6
Finish with grated cheese and a drizzle of olive oil, and serve at once.
Tips
- Crack each egg into a cup first, and slide it in gently so the yolk stays whole.
- Day old bread works best, since it holds its shape in the soup.
- Leave the eggs out and simmer the soup for another 5 minutes for a vegan version, using vegan cheese and no egg.
Storing and freezing
Keep the soup (without eggs or bread) 3 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer. Reheat until boiling, then poach fresh eggs. Eat poached eggs straight away.
Questions
What does acquacotta mean?
It means cooked water in Italian. It was a humble dish of the Maremma region in Tuscany, made from vegetables, stale bread and whatever else was to hand.
Can I make it gluten free?
Yes. Use gluten free bread and check the stock label. The soup is otherwise naturally gluten free.
More made with soffritto
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.