This is my grandmother's Escarole and Beans Soup and it is so delicious! It's perfect for a chilly day and partners best with some CRUSTY bread.
Serve it alongside a Gruyere Grilled Cheese for the ultimate soup and sandwich combo!
If you're looking for more delicious hearty Italian soups like this one, check out White Bean Lentil Soup, Classic Italian Minestrone, or Zuppa Toscana.
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How to Pronounce Escarole
When you live in an Italian household, some words you hear a lot but never actually see the word spelled out. Escarole was one of those words. When I was in graduate school, I started calling my grandma, GG, more often to walk me through, recipes, whether it was the escarole and beans, the broccoli, rabe, or chicken cutlets.
One time I asked her about the 'scarole and beans and she told me what I needed to get from the store. She said to get the cannellini beans, chicken broth, garlic, and the "shkadol." So, I went to the supermarket and couldn't find it anywhere. Finally, I went up to someone working in the produce section and asked, "where do you keep the "shkadole?" He looked at me like I was out of my mind. He then asked me to repeat myself 2 more times, until he finally realized, "oh, you mean escarole." So the correct pronunciation is eh-ska-role. Who knew?
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Cannellini Beans. These can be substituted with white northern beans, but cannellini beans will hold up better in a soup.
Parmesan rind. I list a parmesan rind in the ingredients list. It is not absolutely necessary but it does add flavor to the soup. Just remove it before serving.
Step-by-Step Directions
The thing about my grandma was that she didn't have a recipe book. She wasn't pulling cards out for most of the things we made for dinner. It was all in her head. So, if you called on Wednesday, the recipe might look a little different than on Friday. But the gist was all the same.
Step 1: Start by mincing up a bunch of garlic. Then wash the escarole and roughly chop it into 1-2 inch pieces.
Step 2: In a heavy bottom pot, bring olive oil to medium heat. Once the olive oil is shimmering, add in the garlic and stir. After 1-2 minutes the edges of the garlic should start to brown. Stir in all the escarole. Stir well for 2 minutes and then cover the pot for 2 minutes. When you open the pot the escarole should have begun to wilt.
Step 3: Add salt for taste and stir. Pour in the broth and the parmesan rind. Stir and bring to a simmer. Once the soup is simmering, stir in the cannellini beans and simmer for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Remove the escarole and beans from the heat and serve with some crusty Italian bread and grated parmesan.
Pro-Tips
- This is a soup, not traditional sauteed escarole and beans.
- Rinse escarole well before adding it to the pot to remove any debris in the leaves. People forget that lettuce grows from the dirt.
FAQs
Escarole will be in the leafy green sections of the supermarket. When you're looking it is sometimes labeled endive. Just make sure you pick the endive with the flat leaves when you want escarole.
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container and then reheat in a small pot on the stove for best results.
GG
GG was the OG. She was always down to talk about food, girls, and the Yankees. I miss her very much and I'm glad I have these recipes to remember her. Have some 'scarole and beans and hug your family.
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Great Soups for the Cold
📖 Recipe
Escarole and Beans Soup
Equipment
- 1 medium dutch oven
Ingredients
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 heads escarole, chopped
- 1 can of cannellini beans, rinsed
- 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock
- 1-2 teaspoon salt
- 1 parmesan rind
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Add olive to a large pot and bring to medium heat.
- Add in minced garlic and stir often. Once the garlic becomes fragrant and slightly brown, add in escarole and stir until the garlic is mixed thoroughly and the escarole begins to wilt. Stir in the salt.
- Pour in the 4 cups of stock or broth. Add the parmesan rind and cannellini beans. Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve with grated parmesan and lemon zest, if desired.
Notes
- This is a soup, not traditional sauteed escarole and beans.
- Rinse escarole well before adding it to the pot to remove any debris in the leaves.
Gloria
Love this as a soup in the winter. WE used to just saute it but its delicious like this too!