A rustic bread soup that turns sturdy oatmeal slices into a warming bowl of torn croutons and tender wheat, held together with broth and finished with a poached egg and wilted greens. This shelf holds only bread, so the recipe builds everything else from staples and one quick buy.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 15 at the stove.

About 620 calories a serving, 39 g protein, 43 g carbohydrate, 34 g fat. From USDA figures for 100% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

Cook mode

1. Dice 4 slices of bread into half-inch cubes and spread them on a plate. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and toast the bread cubes, stirring often, until they are golden at the edges and dry to the touch, about 5 minutes.5 min
2. Dice 1 small onion and mince 2 garlic cloves. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon oil from the pot, add the onion and garlic, and cook over medium heat until the onion softens, about 3 minutes, stirring once.3 min
3. Pour in 4 cups broth and bring it to a simmer, then add the toasted bread cubes and simmer until they have absorbed some liquid and begun to soften, about 5 minutes.5 min
4. Stir in 2 cups spinach or kale and 1 tablespoon butter, season with salt and pepper, and cook until the greens are tender, about 2 minutes.2 min
5. Gently crack 2 eggs into the simmering broth, spacing them apart, and poach until the whites set but the yolks remain loose, about 3 minutes.3 min

Note Swap the greens for any winter vegetable chopped small. Leftovers keep three days in the fridge; reheat gently and poach a fresh egg if you like. Serve in wide bowls with crusty bread on the side for soaking the broth.