Escarole and White Bean Soup

Escarole and white bean soup, often referred to as Italian greens and beans, is the ultimate comfort food recipe. Healthy, delicious and so easy to make!

Is there any green leafy vegetable more versatile than escarole?

You probably recognize this slightly bitter chicory green as an essential ingredient in Italian Wedding Soup, but it is extremely popular throughout Italian cuisine.

It makes a great side dish whether sauteed, braised or grilled.

Today, I’m sharing one of the best homemade soup recipes you will ever make.

Italian escarole and beans is a hearty and healthy brothy soup with vegetables. Coarsely chopped escarole is added raw to a pot of simmering white beans and vegetables, contributing just a hint of sweetness and crispiness. This creates the perfect complement to the creamy texture of the white beans.

Take a look at how simple and economical this Italian white bean recipe is to make!

Mise en place

Rinsing and soaking

Before you soak your Great Northern aka cannellini beans, it is important to:

• rinse and sort them;
• remove any shriveled or discolored legumes and
• remove any small rocks or debris.

Place 2 cups of dried beans in a large bowl of cold water. Allow them to soak for approximately 8-12 hours. Make sure to submerge them by at least two inches of water as they will absorb a lot of water.

Please note that this can be done at the end of the day for the soup to be cooked in the morning or at the beginning of the day for a supper meal.

Boiling the soaked beans

When you are ready to make the soup, drain and rinse the soaked beans.

Place them in a pot with enough water to cover them, bring to a boil and then cover slightly and simmer for approximately 1 hour or until tender.

In the meanwhile, let’s prep our vegetables.

Although there is nothing wrong with opening up a can of cannellini beans, adding them to sauteed escarole and calling it a meal, I would argue that sauteeing a few vegetables is a great time investment of 30 minutes.

This method creates a tasty flavor base for our soup. If you recall, we used the same technique for this Italian Lentil Soup Recipe.

So, let’s start chopping!

Prep the vegetables: Dice 1 medium onion, 2-3 celery stalks and coarsely chop 1 head of escarole that has been previously cleaned and trimmed. Depending on the size of your garlic, mince about 3-4 medium cloves. 

Finally, chop about 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley. This will be used as a garnish. 

How to make escarole and beans

In a large pot, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. 

Lower the heat to medium, add the diced onions (1 medium), and saute for 5-7 minutes until soft. 

Add the minced garlic (3-4 cloves) and diced celery (2-3 stalks) and saute for a couple of minutes. You should begin to smell the wonderful aroma of the garlic.

Season with salt and pepper and, if desired, a pinch or two of red pepper flakes.

Add approximately 3 cups of vegetable stock, homemade or commercial and allow to simmer and reduce until vegetables are soft. This can take about 15-20 minutes.

Taste the white beans for doneness. If they are tender, add them, along with the liquid to the vegetable broth and allow them to simmer for another 10 minutes or so. 

Taste and adjust seasonings.

Finally, add the coarsely chopped raw escarole and simmer until the greens are tender. 

Serve with a slice of whole wheat bread or Italian focaccia and garnish with freshly grated cheese, chopped Italian parsley, a drizzle of olive oil, and if desired, a squirt of lemon juice.

Tips

• Always rinse and sort your beans to ensure there are no impurities.
• The inner leaves of escarole are very tender and are great to use in green salads.

Can I use canned beans?

To use canned white beans in this escarole soup, simply drain and add to the simmering vegetable broth. Do not rinse the beans as the starch contributes to thickening the broth.

Can I use other beans?

Yes. Any bean works well in this recipe. Some great alternatives are navy beans and red kidney beans.

Can I replace the escarole?

Yes. Spinach, swiss chard, collard greens, and kale are all great options.

How to store leftovers

Refrigerate for up to 3 days in an airtight container or freeze for up to 3 months.

What to love about this recipe

• budget-friendly especially if using dried white beans
• freezer-friendly soup
• uses healthy ingredients
• great way to easily increase daily fiber intake
• the ultimate healthy comfort food
• great with pasta!

White bean recipes we love

• White Bean Soup
• Maple Baked Beans
• White Bean and Spinach Soup

Recipe inspiration

It’s back to my childhood for this Scarola e Fagioli aka Escarole and Beans recipe.

My dad had the most amazing garden. If you are curious, there are a few pictures in this post on sauteed Swiss chard. 

He would plant spinach, mustard greens, rapini, collard greens, swiss chard and, of course, escarole.

Throughout the summer, my mom would freeze these greens and they would inevitably show up at suppertime throughout the fall and winter months.

I didn’t realize it back then but today I consider this meal as pure comfort food. 

I hope you get a chance to give it a try. 

If you are interested, I recently made a kale variation of this soup recipe with my friend Carlo, a professional chef. If you would like to see how it is made, head on over to YouTube.  Just click on the following link and be sure to subscribe to the YouTube channel as my friend Carlo and I plan to share more wonderful recipes with all of you!

THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

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Ciao for now,

Maria 

★★★★★ If you have made this Italian Beans and Greens soup, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Recipe