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 an essential ingredient in Italian Wedding Soup, but it is extremely popular throughout Italian cuisine.
It makes a great side dish whether it is sauteed, braised or grilled.
When coarsely chopped and added raw to a pot of simmering white beans, it contributes just a hint of sweetness to one of the best homemade soup recipes you will ever make.
You won’t believe 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.
Instructions
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 about 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 and garnish with freshly grated cheese, chopped 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?
Yes. 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
Recipe origins
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.
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!
Escarole and White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 1 medium onion medium, diced
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 2-3 stalks celery sliced
- pinch red pepper flakes optional
- 3 cups vegetable stock
- 4 cups cooked white beans with cooking liquid or 2-15 ounce cans Italian Cannellini beans, drained not rinsed
- 1 head escarole rinsed and roughly chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
To Garnish:
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley minced
- 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed, optional
- 1-2 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. optional
Instructions
- Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot set over medium-high heat.
- Lower the heat to medium, add 1 medium diced onion and saute for about 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.
- Season with salt and pepper and if desired, a pinch or two of red pepper flakes.
- Add approximately 3 cups of vegetable stock and allow to simmer and reduce until vegetables are soft. This can take about 15-20 minutes.
- Add the cooked (or canned) white beans and simmer for another 10 minutes or so.
- Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Add the coarsely chopped head of raw escarole and simmer until the greens are tender.
- Serve with a slice of whole wheat bread and garnish with freshly grated cheese, chopped parsley, a drizzle of olive oil and if desired a squirt of lemon juice.
Notes
- Always rinse and sort your dried beans to ensure there are no impurities.
- The inner leaves of escarole are very tender and are great to use in green salads.
Val says
I love this soupy dish! Thanks so much for sharing Maria!
Maria says
My pleasure Val! Thanks for stopping by, appreciate it!