Our Soup of the Week is from Peggy Markel, a person who truly embodies the spirit of into the Soup. Check out Peggy’s Culinary Adventures below. Here she provides us Brodo Toscano (Tuscan Broth) straight from her travels to Italy. It can serve as the basis of many other soups and sauces, but we think it sounds pretty tasty on its own.

Ingredients

  • large pot of  water 
  • 1 red onion, cut in half and toasted (on the grill or frying pan)  
  • 2 celery sticks  
  • 2 carrot sticks  
  • 2 vine-ripened tomatoes (cut a cross in the  bottom)  
  • beef shoulder, tongue, or meat of preference tied up with string and tied to one handle of the pot to keep them from  disturbing the broth when taken out. (Tip: do not use pork products)  
  • a whole chicken  
  • pinch of salt and pepper (‘to taste’ is optional, depending if you want a neutral broth or more savory.)

     

Bring a large pot of water to the boil, add all ingredients and simmer for roughly a few hours. Continuously skim the surface for any impurities and fats that rise to the top with a mesh spoon/strainer. When ready remove the meat and all other ingredients.   Use a cheese cloth to strain the broth.  Eccolo!

 

Peggy Markel’s Culinary Adventures: Connecting Cuisine Culture & Lifestyle

 

About Peggy Markel

Peggy Markel is the Owner and Operator of Peggy Markel’s Culinary Adventures. In 1993, she started The Ligurian School of Poetic Cooking (1993–2000), with Angelo Cabani, master chef and proprietor of Locanda Miranda in Tellaro, a small village on the Italian Riviera. For the past 17 years Peggy has traversed the Mediterranean and North Africa, from Elban fishing villages and Moroccan markets to the homes of Tuscan artisans and chefs, furthering her own exploration of culture and cuisine. “For me, a connection to real food is a connection to life.” Peggy’s journeys help people explore the cuisines of Tuscany, Sicily, Morocco, Almafi, and India.