|
escarole and white bean soup |
|
Tuesday, 03 November 2009 |
|
escarole and white bean soup
|
 |
|
There are some satisfying variables in this soup: you can use all kinds of sausage (see note below). You can use Swiss chard or kale if you can’t find escarole. You can use big cannellini or small white navy beans (homemade or canned). You can use homemade stock or canned broth (of course it tastes best with homemade). It can be doubled or even tripled for a big crowd. What you’re learning here is really a method, so adapt the format to your own needs.
|
 |
|
serves 4
|
prep time: 10 minutes |
cook time: 35 minutes |
|
1 yellow onion chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 pound sausages, sliced (see note)
1 head escarole
salt and pepper
6 cups homemade chicken stock or 4 cups canned chicken broth and 2 cups water
1-1/2 cups cooked white beans or a 15-ounce can drained, rinsed cannellini or navy beans
grated parmesan, optional |
In a large saucepan or medium soup pot, saute the onion in the oil over medium-high heat for a minute or two until soft, then add the sausages and continue to cook, stirring often, until the meat is no longer pink and onions are golden, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, get escarole ready by cutting off the core end, then stacking and slicing the leaves crosswise into ribbons. Put the greens in a big bowl and fill with cold water; swish greens to get out all the grit, then drain through a colander. Drop greens into the soup pan with the water clinging to them. Stir until greens just start to wilt, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the stock into the pan and bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the beans, cover, and cook 10 minutes more. Let soup sit off heat for a few minutes before ladling into bowls; garnish with parmesan cheese if desired.
|
|
note: you can use hot or mild Italian sausages, spicy turkey or chicken sausages, even andouille or linguisa. I slice the pork sausages up thickly so I get big bites that are like cheater meatballs. But you can crumble the meat out of the casings when you add it to the onion mixture if you like smaller bits, or you can chop andouille or linguisa into small pieces.
To use chard or kale instead of escarole, remove the leaves from the stems, then chop the leaves and add as directed for the escarole
|
|