Acquacotta Maremmana (Maremma Shepherd's Soup) vs Soupe au Pistou: Vibrant Provençal Vegetable Soup

Both soups start from the same base of onion, carrot, potato, tomato and vegetable broth, yet they end up in very different places. Acquacotta gains body from stale bread laid in each bowl beneath the hot soup and from eggs poached right in the pot, finished with grated Pecorino Romano and a few torn basil leaves. Soupe au Pistou fills its broth with zucchini, green beans, white beans and small pasta, then gets its punch from a raw basil, garlic, Parmesan and olive oil paste stirred in off the heat. One is soft and savory; the other is bright, herbal and tender-crisp.