Recipe: Lidia's Tomato and Clam Soup (thickened with bread)

LIDIA'S TOMATO AND CLAM SOUP
"This dish has all the flavors of red clam sauce, and all the comforts of a tomato soup. For those days when you want to stay away from pasta and clam sauce, or don't feel like a creamy clam chowder, this is a delicious alternative.



"Serve it hot, or at room temperature in the summer, with some grilled crusty bread."

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided use (plus more to finish)
2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
2 dozen littleneck clams, washed and scrubbed
2 cups water, divided use
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 cans (28 ounces each) whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
1 large fresh basil sprig
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Kosher salt, to taste
2 cups day-old crustless bread cubes

In a large pot, over medium-high heat, put 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic. Once the garlic is hot, add the clams and 1 cup water. Cover, and simmer until the clams open, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the clams as they open, discarding any clams that don't open.

Pass the cooking liquid through a strainer and reserve. Remove the clam meat from shells, and coarsely chop. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a soup pot, heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, basil, red pepper flakes, remaining 1 cup water, and the reserved clam cooking liquid. Taste, and season with salt. Bring to a simmer, and cook until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Add the bread cubes. Simmer, breaking up the bread cubes with a whisk to make a thick soup.

Remove the basil. Stir in the chopped clams, and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Random House
Adapted from source: Lidia's Commonsense Italian Cooking by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali