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Escarole And Bean Soup

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soups•italian•vegetarian, gluten-free
2 hours 30 minutes•6 servings•

Ingredients

  • 1 pound dried cannellini beans – picked over and rinsed
  • 10 cups water
  • 1 small yellow onion – halved
  • 1 rib celery – cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 leaf bay leaf
  • 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic – thinly sliced
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 2 heads escarole – tough ends trimmed, leaves cut into 1-inch ribbons and rinsed well
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper – freshly ground
  • Parmigiano Reggiano – finely grated (for serving)
  • crusty bread – for serving
Escarole And Bean Soup

Instructions

  1. 1.

    Place the dried cannellini beans in a large pot and cover with the water. Bring to a boil over high heat, boil 2 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour to quick-soak.

  2. 2.

    Add the halved onion, celery pieces, and bay leaf to the pot. Return to a gentle simmer and cook until the beans are tender but not falling apart, 60–75 minutes. Remove and discard the onion, celery, and bay leaf; keep the beans submerged in their cooking liquid and set aside.

  3. 3.

    In a wide soup pot, warm the extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until fragrant and just turning pale golden, 1–2 minutes; do not brown.

  4. 4.

    Add the escarole to the pot in batches if needed. Cook, tossing with tongs, until wilted, 3–4 minutes.

  5. 5.

    Ladle the cooked beans into the pot along with about 6 cups of their cooking liquid (add more as needed to just cover). Bring to a gentle simmer.

  6. 6.

    Simmer the soup until the escarole is tender and the broth is lightly creamy from the beans, 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally. For extra body, lightly mash a few beans against the side of the pot and stir back in.

  7. 7.

    Season the soup with the kosher salt and black pepper, starting with 1.5 teaspoons salt and all the pepper; taste and add the remaining salt if needed.

  8. 8.

    Let the soup rest off heat 5 minutes. Serve hot with Parmigiano Reggiano and crusty bread.

Escarole and bean soup is a rustic bowl built on gentle bitterness, creamy legumes, and fruity olive oil. Tender ribbons of escarole soften into a silky greens broth while cannellini beans give body and a mellow sweetness. A hint of garlic and peperoncino perfumes the pot, and a shower of grated cheese at the table adds savory depth.

Rooted in the cooking of southern Italy, especially Campania, this soup is known as minestra di scarola e fagioli and is a staple of cool-weather home kitchens. It straddles the line between soup and stew, often made from pantry ingredients and garden greens. Carried by Italian immigrants to North America, it became a beloved Italian-American classic known simply as “escarole and beans,” remaining a symbol of frugality, comfort, and everyday nourishment.