Nov 30, 2011

Soupe Crasse (Cheese and Bread Soup)

Typically made with day-old bread or breadsticks during the holidays, this northern Italian specialty comes out like a luscious casserole of melted cheese and bread.

Credit: Todd Coleman

SERVES 8-10

INGREDIENTS

3 1/2 cups beef or chicken stock
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
10 oz. Italian breadsticks
1 lb. Taleggio cheese, sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Bring stock to a boil in a saucepan; remove from heat. Grease bottom of a 3-qt. high-sided skillet with 1 tbsp. butter. Break breadsticks into 2 1/2" pieces. Put 1 layer breadsticks in skillet. Cover breadsticks with layer of cheese. Continue layering breadsticks and cheese; ladle stock over breadsticks one ladleful at a time and heat skillet over low heat. Bring to a simmer; cook, without stirring, for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, melt remaining butter in a 12" skillet over medium heat. Add onions; cook, until onions are soft, 8�10 minutes. Set a fine sieve over a small bowl. Strain butter, pressing onions with back of a spoon; discard onions. Drizzle butter over soup; continue cooking for 10 more minutes. To serve, spoon onto serving plates.

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #134

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Ratings & Reviews (5)

by MEDIAKRUX on 2011-11-05

Those don't look like grissini....or am I wrong?

by RANIA on 2011-11-30

They look like grissini to me....melted, soggy, cheese-covered grissini :)

by SPEEDREADER on 2011-11-30

Don't think they look like grissini either.

Not sure the editors, writers or contributors at Saveur ever even make the recipes they publish. They are also often deficient with helpful descriptions. Proportions here were wrong, I made a half batch, but 1 3/4 cups stock wasn't nearly enough. The final tasted great. Thick but not too heavy. Still think the volume of liquid you'll need will depend on the thickness of your breadsticks. I used thinner ones so there was way more surface area to absorb liquid.

by SAVEUR TEAM on 2011-12-01

@Mediakrux @Speedreader, thanks for your comments. The recipe allows for you to use any sort of Italian breadstick: thin grissini, or thicker versions, so long as the total weight is 10 oz. (But as @Rania noted, grissini will puff up when they begin to absorb liquid.) As the headnote says, the proportions of liquid in this recipe result in something more akin to a casserole than a true soup; while it may be confusing, it's both the authentic name and the authentic preparation for this dish.

by SPEEDREADER on 2012-01-23

Hey Saveur Team:

I did read the headnote (why would you assume I didn't?) and knew the consistency this should be headed for. It's not confusing at all. Never intimated that it was. I have made this three times now and all three times I've had to use much more stock than is listed to get something 'casserole' like. You can reply again and tell me I'm wrong again, but for folks actually making this dish, they might find the information useful.

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