Escarole and Pink Bean Soup: The perfect autumn combination!
This is one of those simple recipes that you come back to again and again. This mouth-watering version of escarole and pink bean soup features a light tomato-chicken broth (I use Swanson’s broth for this), with pink beans and heaps of fresh escarole. It’s the perfect autumn dish, just right for lunch or dinner.
This version is a simple, healthy and super delicious recipe served over farfalle (bow tie pasta), but any kind of short pasta will do.
With minimal ingredients and prep time, it won’t take long to go from cutting board to table.
Nutritionally, escarole is high in vitamin A and a good source of iron and potassium. The beans provide a good dose of protein. The pasta is a fun way to add heft to the dish for a complete meal. You can leave out the pasta for a lower carb or a gluten free option. It will still be a hearty soup (maybe just a little less fun).
Some people think that escarole is a little bitter. Not to worry! When the escarole simmers in the broth, it removes all that bitter taste leaving a delicious mellowed bite of healthy greens!
Important: You MUST wash the escarole. Repeatedly.
Escarole is notoriously sandy and dirty like it spent too much time at the beach. I cannot stress enough the importance of repeatedly washing and rewashing to get all the soil out. I highly recommend using a salad spinner, if you have one, after each rinse through. Fill it, swish it, strain it and spin it. Repeat until you don’t feel gritty sand left over in the water after you spin it down.
Nothing kills a great recipe faster than sipping a sandy spoonful of soup. Remember when you were a kid on the beach and your mom gave you a pb&j sandwich and no matter how careful you were, you got a mouthful of peanut butter and sand? That.
Now, let’s dive into this delicious version of escarole and pink bean soup!
Have a great meal!
Tracy from Real Not Perfect
Hearty, Delicious Escarole and Pink Bean Soup
Equipment
- Large soup pot
- pasta pot
- Chef knife
- cutting board
- Salad spinner
Ingredients
- 2 heads escarole washed well, dried and rough chopped into 2 inch ribbons
- 2 15 ounce cans pink beans drained **see note
- 14 ounces crushed tomatoes
- 10 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and chopped fine
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
- 1 lb pasta like farfalle or ditalini
- parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Chop the heads of escarole into 2 inch ribbons. Put them in a large bowl of water, swish and rinse the leaves and drain thoroughly . You may need to repeat this step several times before the leaves are completely clean. I like to use a salad spinner to drain excess water and make sure there is no sand or dirt in the water. If there is, rinse it and spin it dry again. If you don't have a salad spinner, pat dry with paper towels.
- Peel and chop garlic fine.
- In a large heavy bottomed pot, saute garlic in 2 Tbsp olive oil for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Don't let it brown.
- Add chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, beans, ground pepper and red pepper flakes (if using). Let the soup come to a boil.
- In a separate large pot, boil water for pasta.
- To the soup pot, add escarole in batches (unless you have a giant pot).
- Reduce heat to simmer.
- Simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Taste for seasoning. If necessary, add salt or more pepper.
- While soup is simmering, cook pasta according to package directions.
To Serve:
- Scoop some pasta in a soup bowl, ladle in the soup. Top with parmesan cheese if desired.
**Notes:
- 1. If you can't get a hold of pink beans, you can use kidney beans.
- 2. If you have leftover soup, store the pasta separately from the soup to prevent it from getting mushy.
