This hearty escarole soup is loaded with Italian sausage and white beans making it perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
Yeah so snow. It’s coming. Today. Last week I was soaking up the sun in beautiful, WARM San Diego. And now this. I have to admit I love snow, but this will be mixed with rain so it’s basically going to be a cold mess of a day. I’ll huddle up with a cup or two of hot tea and pull a container of this escarole soup out of the freezer. (Yes, it freezes remarkably well.) This is my go-to recipe for escarole which makes a couple appearances every year in my CSA. It’s great raw too but I love how it holds some crunch in a soup or stew. I use it in these Greek lamb shanks too. But a few weeks ago, this was the fate of my last escarole for the year.
This soup is more of a stew: loaded with chunks of Italian sausage, white beans, garlic and crushed red pepper. It comes together quickly and can be served immediately. The broth gets a ton of flavor from all of the other ingredients so it tastes like it’s been cooking for hours. Serve it with a chunk of crusty bread for a perfect winter dinner.
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 3 slices prosciutto, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- 1 head escarole, coarsely chopped
- 1 14-oz. can cannellini or other white beans
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 Tbsp. cold unsalted butter
- 2 tomatoes, seeded and diced or 1 cup canned diced tomatoes
- ½ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more to serve
- Heat the oil in a 12-inch pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and use a wooden spoon to break it into bite-sized pieces. Cook until sausage is browned, then stir in the prosciutto, garlic and pepper flakes. Cook for one minute then add the escarole and cook until wilted, about two minutes.Add the beans and cook one more minute.
- Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Stir in the butter, tomatoes and cheese and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- To serve, ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan.
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