Italian Escarole Greens and White Beans Soup recipe is a delicious and nutritious soup made with simple ingredients in a chicken broth. It’s gluten-free and low-calorie.
I grew up in an Italian household, and escarole was often served in escarole soup like, Italian Wedding Soup, or fresh escarole as a salad. Like broccoli rabe, it’s one of the most popular of the Italian greens. It’s definitely a favorite leafy green vegetable of mine.
Escarole, along with radicchio, Belgian endive and curly endive, is a member of the chicory family. It’s a slightly a bitter green with a slightly bitter taste if eaten fresh rather than cooked.
I like using chopped escarole in salads because it not only tastes good and is a bit more hearty, it also lasts longer in my refrigerator than romaine lettuce.
Escarole soup is a classic Italian dish. You may find it in Italian restaurants in the New York and Philadelphia areas where Italian food is celebrated. It’s delicious with hunk of crusty bread or crusty Italian bread.
You can find leafy escarole at the grocery store in the produce department. Sometimes it’s labeled as “lettuce” because it’s used in salads.
It’s especially delicious with homemade chicken stock. Lower the amount of chicken broth to make it a perfect side dish.
You can make this recipe Vegan simply by using vegetable stock instead of chicken broth. It’s great for a low calorie diet.
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Italian Escarole Greens and White Beans Soup Recipe
The full, printable recipe is at the bottom in the recipe card.
Ingredients
- fresh escarole
- white cannellini beans
- chicken broth
- drizzle of olive oil
- onions
- garlic
- salt and black pepper to taste
First, use a sharp knife to chop the escarole.
Next, clean escarole. Add it to a large bowl with water and let it sit a while. Then, drain it. This ensures the dirt and/or sand loosens away from the leaves.
Then, add oil, onions and garlic to a large pot. Saute for a few minutes to get the onion tender. Your family members will know you’re making something good when they smell the aroma coming from the kitchen!
Next, add the drained Italian beans and cook a couple of minutes.
Then, add the chicken broth. If you have homemade in your freezer, now is the time to use it!
Then, add the drained chopped escarole and cook until the escarole is tender which is about ten to fifteen more minutes.
Additions or Substitutions
- Use great northern beans instead of cannellini beans.
- Use vegetable stock instead of chicken broth to make it Vegan or vegetarian.
- Add chopped carrots.
- To spice it up a bit, add red pepper flakes.
- Add cooked, sliced Italian sausage.
As I’ve mentioned above, using homemade chicken broth takes it to a higher level of taste.
Make this classic Italian recipe for your family with little effort. It’s a quick hot soup for lunch on a cold rainy day. It’s also an easy soup course for the main course of a big Italian Sunday dinner. Nonetheless, your family is going to love it.
You may also like:
One Pot Authentic Homemade Italian Wedding Soup
Authentic Italian Pasta Fagioli Recipe
Spinach and Tortellini Soup with Sausage
See more SOUP recipes.
Italian Escarole Greens and White Beans Soup Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup chopped onions
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 5 cups chicken broth
- 15 oz white cannellini beans, rinsed
- 1 head escarole, cleaned and chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- First, add chopped onions (1/3 cup) and minced garlic (4 cloves) to a large pot on medium-high heat.
- Next, add olive oil (2 tbsp) and saute for two minutes or until onions get tender.
- Next, add rinsed cannellini beans (15 oz.)
- Then, add chicken broth and cook for five minutes.
- Next, add escarole (1 head chopped,) cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until escarole is tender.
- Last, taste test and add salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
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It’s so nice to pass down recipes through the generations to keep tradition going and bring back the feeling of nostalgia. I have so many memories of my mom cooking. She didnt’ think I was watching but, I was and learned a lot more than she ever knew. RIP
I’m from a big Italian from off the coast of Italy we made this often especially in winter this was our comfort food my mom and grandmother both added their own twist by adding country style ribs and pepperoni as a kid I would sneak the pepperoni I tried to take some when my mom was slicing it but I liked having all 5 fingers so I learned early on to just sneak it out of the soup as it was cooking but she caught on now I make it and my kids do the same thing and I understand now why my mom would get so mad but it gives my fond memories and now I pass it on to my daughter both my mom and grandmothers are gone but the soup remains the same my mom always said if it ain’t broke don’t fix it in her Italian flare
This is what I was raised on but my mom added country style ribs and pepperoni