Escarole and White Bean Soup
Escarole and White Bean Soup is a hearty, comforting combination of creamy cannellini beans and leafy escarole greens simmered with lots of aromatics in a rich broth. A humble soup with full-bodied flavor!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup small diced yellow onions
- 1 cup small diced celery
- ½ cup small diced carrots (optional)
- 2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste
- ½ cup dry white wine such as Pinot Grigio
- 5 cups low- or no-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
- 1½ pounds cooked white cannellini beans (1¼ cups (10 ounces) dried; see Notes about beans below.)
- 2 cups bean cooking liquid (or additional broth)
- 1 parmigiano or pecorino cheese rind
- 2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 large head escarole, cored, chopped into bite-sized pieces, rinsed of all dirt and drained of all liquid (about 1¼ pounds)
- Grated pecorino cheese, for serving
- High quality, extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
Instructions
- Prep all ingredients according to specifications above. Cook the beans if using dried: Pick through the beans for stones, then rinse them. Place them in a large bowl covered with four times the amount of water and let them soak for several hours or overnight. After soaking, drain the beans, then boil them in unsalted water until soft. DO NOT THROW AWAY THE BEAN COOKING LIQUID as it is an important part of this recipe. (See NOTES about beans below.)(Please see the section above in the blog post for Step-By-Step instructions with photos.)1½ pounds cooked white cannellini beans
- Heat olive oil in large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, celery, carrots (if including), garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are starting to soften.¼ cup olive oil, 1 cup small diced yellow onions, 1 cup small diced celery, ½ cup small diced carrots , 2 Tbsp finely chopped garlic, ¼ tsp crushed red pepper
- Move vegetables to one side of pot and add the tomato paste, caramelizing it for 2-3 minutes.3 Tbsp tomato paste
- Add wine and deglaze, scraping up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pot.½ cup dry white wine
- Then, add the broth, about 1/3 of the cooked beans and the bean cooking liquid. With the heat on low, use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables and beans. (Pureeing the beans and vegetables acts as the thickener for the soup and gives it body. But, if you prefer a 100% brothy soup, you can skip this pureeing step. Alternatively, you can remove a bit of the cooked veggies to leave them whole, then add them back to the soup with the escarole later.)5 cups low- or no-sodium vegetable or chicken broth, 2 cups bean cooking liquid
- After pureeing, add the cheese rind, salt and black pepper and stir. Cover and bring mixture up to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to a simmer and simmer, partially covered, about 15 minutes or until all onions, celery and carrots (if including) are tender. Stir the soup regularly, ensuring that the cheese rind does not stick to the bottom of the pot.1 parmigiano or pecorino cheese rind , 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper
- Add the escarole and remaining whole cooked beans and stir well. Simmer until the escarole has fully wilted, about 8 minutes.1 large head escarole,
- Remove any remaining cheese rind. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Serve the soup piping hot with a generous sprinkle of grated pecorino cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Buon Appetito!Grated pecorino cheese, for serving, High quality, extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
Video
Notes
- This recipe makes about 12 cups and can easily be cut in half to yield a smaller amount.
- If you use canned beans to make this dish, the only wild card is to whether or not to use the starchy liquid that comes with the canned beans. This is a personal choice, but here is my advice: if you buy no- or low-sodium high quality (preferably organic) canned beans, then it is probably okay to use the bean liquid. Otherwise, you may end up with an overly salty, briny and strange tasting liquid in your dish. If you choose not to use the canned bean liquid and have homemade chicken stock available, the collagen in the stock will create texture in the final dish. Otherwise, just use some vegetable or chicken broth in place of the bean liquid in this recipe.
- An alternative to soaking the beans for several hours is to bring the beans to a boil in a large pot of unsalted water, then turn off the heat and let them sit, covered, for one hour. At this point, it will be as if they were soaked for several hours. Discard this soaking water, then proceed as if they had been soaked overnight by cooking them in a new pot of unsalted water until tender.
- The beans can be cooked in advance and held, covered, in the refrigerator for two to three days until you are ready to use them.
- To save time when cooking, prep the vegetables in advance and store them in a zip-lock bag in the refrigerator for up to one day.
- I have made this soup several ways–with and without the carrots, pureed and not pureed. All are great and you can’t go wrong with any of your choices.
- Instead of using an immersion blender, you could also just puree 1/3 the beans in a food processor or mash them with a fork or potato masher. before adding them to the broth.
- Don't forget to drizzle the finished dish with some high quality extra-virgin olive oil and grated pecorino cheese for an additional hit of flavor and richness.
- Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, and Grana Padano are all great cheese options. The cheese should be grated and not shredded.
- The soup gets better as it sits, so it is a great option to make ahead of time.
- This soup freezes really well! Make a large batch, portion it into containers and freeze for up to three months to enjoy down the road.
