Soak the stale bread – cut into slices – into cold water.

Chop finely the onion, the carrot and the celery and brown them lightly with a few tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in a large pot.

When the chopped vegetables are soft, pour in the tomato purée and let it simmer for about 15 minutes on low flame, covered.

Squeeze the stale bread with your hands to remove all the water and crumble the bread into the tomato sauce. Stir well.

Let it cook for about 10 minutes over low heat.

Purée the garlic and add it to the tomato bread soup along with some basil leaves.

Remove the soup from the heat and stir into a generous dash of your best extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and set aside covered with a lid for at least one hour.

Reheat gently before serving it and enjoy!