Tasty Bits

A Winter Soup to Warm the Soul

by Kathy Dicken photography by Kathy Dicken

Simple Italian Escarole, Sausage & Bean Soup

This soup — like many Italian dishes, born from peasant cooking — exemplifies that simple is often best. At its heart, this broth-based soup simply paired a head of escarole, with creamy white beans, garlic and a little sausage. It’s done in about 30 minutes, makes a perfect dinner on a cold winter’s day and will warm up any soul. If you are not familiar with escarole, it is a bitter green in its raw form that is part of the chicory family. It looks very similar to lettuce but is full of nutrients. Escarole can be found at most grocery stores and farmers’ markets in the fall and winter months. The bitterness of these greens is mellowed by simmering them in broth along with the fatty sausage and creamy beans. Of course, to amp up the Italian flavors, this recipe certainly benefits by the addition of parmesan, onion and a cup of uncooked pasta, but this soup is brilliant on its own as well.

Servings: 6 Prep time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes

Kathy Dicken lives in Huntersville and is the author of The Tasty Bits food blog. For more meal ideas that are simple and delicious, you can follow her blog at www.thetastybits.com or on Instagram @thetastybits.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. olive oil ½ sweet onion, finely diced 1-½ tsp. minced garlic Dash of red pepper flakes 1 lb. Italian sausage, either ground or links removed from casings (pork or chicken) 4 cups chicken stock 1 bunch fresh escarole, washed and roughly chopped 2 15 oz. cans cannellini beans (or Great Northern beans), drained ¾ cup ditalini pasta (or similar small pasta) Grated parmesan for garnish

Instructions:

In a large pot over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add onion and cook until slightly soft, about 5 minutes. Next, add garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Next, add sausage to the mixture, and using a wooden spoon, break up the sausage and cook until browned. Once browned, add chicken broth, pasta (if using) and escarole. Stir together and let simmer for 15 minutes. Finally, add canned cannellini beans, mix and heat through. Top with grated Parmesan, if desired and serve with crusty bread.

Notes: Escarole can be very dirty, so it’s best to soak the leaves in water. Fill a large bowl with cold water and soak the leaves for 5-10 minutes to make sure the soil has time to come off the leaves. Then, simply pat it dry with paper towels before chopping. To create a more full-bodied broth, only drain one can of the cannellini beans; the liquid in the second can adds heartiness.

For extra flavor, add the rind of the parmesan cheese while the soup simmers.