Nutritious soup is easy on your budget, time

A quick scan of the ingredients and you’ll see that this is a humble peasant’s soup: nourishing, simple, easy on time and the budget.

If you have four cups of homemade chicken stock on hand, preferably made with roasted bones, you’re way ahead of the game. But we found that water and a bit of concentrated Glace de Poulet Gold brand Classic Roasted Chicken Stock (packaged in a flat disk), available at large grocery stores, works just fine.

You’ll need 2 deep, ovenproof soup bowls.

Zuppa Pavese (Poached Egg Soup)

2 servings

Serve with a slosh of Sriracha or hot pepper sauce, if desired. Adapted from “The Soupmaker’s Kitchen” by Aliza Green.

2 slices thick, crusty French or Italian bread (2 ounces total)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons freshly grated Grana Padano cheese, plus more for serving

4 cups water

1 tablespoon roasted chicken stock concentrate (may substitute 4 cups homemade roasted chicken broth)

Freshly ground black pepper

Sea salt or kosher salt

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

2 large eggs

Leaves from 2 stems flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 F degrees . Have a small rimmed baking sheet at hand.

Brush both sides of each slice of bread with oil. Place the bread on the baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden brown, turning halfway through. Place one toasted slice in the bottom of each soup bowl, then sprinkle the slices with half of the cheese. Reduce the oven to 250 degrees. Place the bowls on the baking sheet and warm in the oven for about 6 minutes.

Combine the water and roasted chicken stock concentrate in a large saucepan; bring to a boil over high, then reduce to medium-low.

Heat 2 or 3 cups of water in a medium saute pan over medium-high. Add a pinch of salt; once the water comes to a full boil, add the vinegar. Crack one egg at a time into a small bowl, making sure the yolk stays intact and there is no shell. Gently slide the egg into the boiling water. Repeat quickly with the other egg. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the whites are just opaque but the yolks seem liquid.

Finely chop the parsley.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer 1 egg to each warm bowl and sprinkle with parsley and the remaining cheese.

Ladle half of the warm broth over each egg in the bowl. Serve right away, with cheese for passing at the table.