escarole,-cannellini-bean-sausage-soup

Winter Best Food

Escarole, Cannellini Bean & Sausage Soup

This soup would be equally satisfying if you took it in a vegetarian direction and skipped the sausage and used no-chicken broth.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces dried cannellini beans (about 1 ¾ cups), soaked overnight
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt, divided
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 8 ounces Italian turkey sausage, casings removed
  • ½ medium onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 head escarole, coarsely chopped (10 cups)
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
  • Lemon wedges for serving

Directions

  1. Drain the soaked beans and rinse. Place in a large pot and add water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Adjust heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover and cook until tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (Alternatively, cook beans in a pressure cooker or slow cooker.) Reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid and drain the beans.

  2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with parchment paper.

  3. Whisk eggs, parsley, Parmesan, flour and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake until firm, about 15 minutes. Loosen the edges with a spatula. While still warm, invert onto a cutting board. Remove the parchment and cut the frittata into 1/4-inch cubes.

  4. Heat oil in the pot over medium heat. Shape sausage into 3/4-inch balls and add them to the pot. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, about 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in broth and the reserved cooking liquid, scraping up any browned bits. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.

  5. Add escarole, the beans and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Return to a boil. Cook until the escarole is just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Serve the soup topped with the egg "croutons" and with lemon wedges, if desired.