Skip to content

Vegetarian, Italy

Tuscan Acquacotta with Poached Eggs

Tuscan acquacotta with poached eggs is a vegetable soup served over toasted bread and topped with a poached egg. It takes 50 minutes, rates as easy, and costs €1.50 per serving. The key is cooking the vegetables slowly until soft and poaching the egg gently right in the broth.

An acquacotta, the shepherds' soup of Tuscany, with vegetables simmered soft and served over toasted bread topped with a poached egg.

Tuscan Acquacotta with Poached Eggs
Total time
50 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€1.50
Calories per person
620 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Acquacotta starts with the smell of vegetables softening slowly in olive oil, onions, celery, and carrots turning tender and almost sweet before the tomatoes even go in. The broth stays light and glossy, never thick, so it soaks into the toasted bread at the bottom of the bowl. The poached egg adds a runny yolk that mixes into the soup the moment your spoon breaks it.

It's the kind of dish you want on a cold fall or winter evening when you need something warm without spending hours in the kitchen. Kids love breaking the yolk themselves, and the soft bread soaking in the broth is as comforting as it is filling. Mon Chou suggests it for weeks when you want to cook something simple with what's already in your pantry.

The ingredients

4 people

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onions 4
  • Celery stalks 2
  • Carrots 2

Pantry

  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 400 g
  • Vegetable brothoften in the pantry 1 l
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Bakery

  • Country bread 4 slices

Dairy

  • Eggs 4
  • Grated pecorino 40 g

Allergens Gluten, Eggs, Lactose, Celery

The step by step recipe

  1. Thinly slice the onions, celery, and carrots and let them soften gently in the olive oil. 15 min

    They should turn tender and sweet, cover the pot so they steam a little.

  2. Add the tomatoes and the broth, and let it simmer. 20 min

    The soup should stay glossy and fairly thin.

  3. Toast the slices of bread. 3 min

    Rub them with a clove of garlic for extra flavor.

  4. Place the bread in shallow bowls and ladle the hot soup over it.

    Pour slowly so the bread doesn't fall apart.

  5. Poach the eggs in the simmering soup, then slide them onto the bread with the pecorino. 4 min

    The white should be set and the yolk still runny.

Our tips to get it right

  • Cut the vegetables into even pieces so they all soften at the same rate, with no firm bits left in the broth.
  • If the broth reduces too much while the vegetables cook, add a splash of hot water instead of covering the pot completely, the soup should stay thin.
  • To poach the eggs without them scattering, stir the simmering broth into a gentle swirl before sliding each egg in.

The variations

  • Swap the pecorino for parmesan if that's what you have on hand, the flavor will be slightly milder but just as good.
  • For a heartier version, add a handful of spinach or chard leaves with the tomatoes, they wilt down in just a few minutes.
  • For kids in a hurry, skip poaching the egg in the soup and serve a fried egg on top of the bread instead.

What to serve it with

  • An extra drizzle of olive oil before serving
  • A simple green salad to start
  • A glass of sparkling water

Storage

The vegetable soup keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, without the bread or poached eggs, which don't hold up well. It freezes well for up to 2 months before adding the bread and eggs. Reheat the soup gently, then toast the bread and poach the eggs just before serving.

Questions about this dish

Can I use a different cheese instead of pecorino?

Yes, parmesan works well if you don't have pecorino. The flavor will be a bit milder but the texture stays the same.

How do I keep the egg from scattering in the broth?

Crack each egg into a cup first, then slide it gently into the simmering broth. Stirring the broth into a light swirl also helps the white stay gathered around the yolk.

Can I make this soup ahead of time?

Yes, you can make the vegetable and tomato base up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge. Reheat it gently, then poach the eggs and toast the bread right before serving.

Do kids usually like this soup?

Yes, the soft bread and runny yolk are usually a hit with kids. If some don't like poached eggs, try a fried egg on the bread instead.

How long does it take to make a Tuscan acquacotta with poached eggs?

Count 50 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a Tuscan acquacotta with poached eggs?

About 620 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Tuscan acquacotta with poached eggs cost?

About €1.50 per serving, or €6.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains gluten, eggs, lactose, celery. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

Italian cuisine

See all

Celery recipes

See all