Healthy, Hearty, And Packed With Flavor
Escarole and Cannellini Bean Soup
True comfort food from way back – thank you Fred – and since Louis' garden is now flush with the first wave of escarole, this dish will be on repeat until the season is over – yay!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 red onion sliced then quartered
- 1/2 white onion sliced then quartered
- 2 large cloves garlic minced
- 8 small white or red potatoes sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
- 1/2 large carrot peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
- 1/2 medium zucchini sliced into 1/4 inch rounds and quartered
- 1/2 red pepper sliced and cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1/2 poblano pepper sliced and cut into 1 inch pieces
- salt and pepper to taste if needed, the broth might be salty enough
- 8 cups homemade or prepared vegetable broth homemade is a great way to reduce the sodium per serving
- 1 14 ounce can cannellini beans drained
- 8 cups escarole cut into pieces
- 8 half inch slices of day or two old sourdough baguette or Italian bread cut into rough cubes
- 2 tablespoons shaved Parmigiano Reggiano
- Basil leaves and crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prep the onions and garlic.
- Heat a pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add the olive oil. Cook the onions and garlic for a few minutes, stirring occasionally .
- While the onions and garlic are cooking, prep the potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and peppers and add them to the pot. Toss everything around, then add the vegetable broth.
- Continue to cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until potatoes and carrots are softened but not mushy. If the pot starts to boil, turn the heat down to a simmer. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Stir the cannellini beans and the escarole into the pot and let heat through for a couple more minutes.
- Pour into bowls and add the bread cubes and shaved parm over the top. Garnish with torn basil leaves and crushed red pepper flakes.
Love this recipe so much. I tried it with Swiss chard and kale the other day and it was good too. I prefer the escarole though. Thanks for the recipe!
Yeah, a bit of nostalgia for sure – I don’t think you can go wrong with any green here, but love that hint of bitterness and crunch of the escarole.
Love this recipe, thank you Donna for giving us a new and delicious version. It’s on my list to try soon ! Btw , great picture !!
Thank you! And Yay! Brings back some sweet memories of Fred and his wonderful cooking!