Garbanzo Beans With Escarole And Fennel Recipes

WILTED ESCAROLE AND GARLIC-FRIED GARBANZO BEANS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Fill a heavy-bottomed saucepan with 1 inch of oil. Heat to 350 degrees, checking the temperature on a deep-fry thermometer. Add the garlic, and fry just until it starts to turn golden, about 10 seconds. Remove with slotted spoon, and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Working in small batches, add the garbanzo beans to the oil. Fry until golden and crusty, 2 to 3 minutes. As you are frying, check the temperature of the oil with the deep-fry thermometer, and adjust the heat as necessary to keep it between 325 degrees and 350 degrees. Using a slotted spoon, remove the garbanzos to a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm in the oven. Remove the pan of oil from the heat, and set aside.
• To wilt the escarole, place about 3 tablespoons of the reserved oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch-oven over medium-high heat. Add as much escarole as will comfortably fit in your pan and toss with tongs until wilted. Then start adding the remaining escarole a handful at a time and keep tossing until all the escarole is wilted. Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan, and cook for a few minutes more, until the escarole is tender, about 8 to 10 minutes altogether. Season with salt and pepper.
• Arrange the escarole on a platter, and squeeze lemon juice over. Scatter the fried garbanzos over the escarole, and top with the fried garlic. Garnish platter with lemon wedges.

ESCAROLE SOUP WITH GARBANZO BEANS AND PASTA

Steps:

• Heat oil in pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add broth, 1 cup water, and tomatoes with juice; bring to boil. Add pasta; cover and boil until pasta is tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add marjoram, beans, then escarole. Simmer until escarole is tender, about 5 minutes, adding up to 1 cup water if pasta absorbs broth. Season with salt and pepper.
• Ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

GARBANZO BEANS WITH ESCAROLE AND FENNEL

Steps:

• In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add red onion, fennel, garlic and hot pepper.
• Cook and stir until vegetables are soft, 3-4 minutes.
• Add escarole, cover, and cook over medium-low heat until escarole is wilted, 5-6 minutes.
• Add garbanzo beans and salt; stir to combine. Cook, covered, until garbanzos are heated through, about 2 minutes.
• Serve with lemon wedges.

CREAMY WHITE BEAN AND FENNEL CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Trim the fennel. Cut it in half lengthwise and slice it crosswise, about 1/4-inch thick (reserve about 1/4 cup roughly chopped fennel fronds). Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium. Add the sliced fennel, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened but still retaining a little bite, about 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour 1 can white beans and its liquid into a blender. Add the heavy cream, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons olive oil and purée until smooth. Drain and rinse the remaining can of beans and transfer it to the skillet along with the bean purée. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Mix the panko with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl. Add the Parmesan, lemon zest and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to coat. Sprinkle evenly over the fennel-white bean mixture.
• Bake until bubbly and lightly golden on top, about 15 minutes. Broil until topping is browned in spots, 1 to 2 minutes, if desired. Top with reserved fennel fronds and serve.

NAVY BEAN AND ESCAROLE STEW WITH FETA AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Slice 1 garlic clove in half crosswise and set aside; smash remaining garlic cloves with the flat side of a chef's knife.
• Heat 4 Tbsp. oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium. Cook smashed garlic, stirring often, until golden, about 5 minutes. Add onion and fennel and season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent and fennel and onion are browned around the edges, 8-10 minutes. Add lemon zest, rosemary, and 3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until rosemary is very fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add bay leaves, beans, feta brine (if using; anywhere between 1/2-1 cup is fine), a couple generous pinches of salt, and 8 cups water and bring to a simmer. Partially cover pot, reduce heat to low, and gently simmer stew until beans are creamy and tender all the way through, 60-70 minutes.
• Add basil sprigs and olives to stew, then add escarole in batches, letting wilt slightly before adding more; simmer just until escarole is tender, about 3 minutes. (If stew is too thick, add more water to reach desired consistency.) Stir in lemon juice; taste and season with more salt if needed. Pluck out bay leaves; partially cover pot and keep stew warm over low while you make the toast.
• Heat broiler. Drizzle 2 Tbsp. oil total over both sides of bread and place on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt. Broil until bread is golden and toasted, about 2 minutes per side. Let cool slightly, then rub with the cut sides of reserved garlic clove.
• To serve, slice toast in half and divide among shallow bowls; ladle stew over. Top with feta, basil leaves, and more red pepper flakes and drizzle with oil.
• Do Ahead
• Stew can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat covered over low.

GARBANZO BEAN STEW WITH ESCAROLE

Steps:

• Warm the oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste; cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the beans, broth, 1/4 cup water, thyme, and saffron, and bring all to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook for 20 minutes.
• Remove half of the stew; purée it in a blender or food processor. Return the purée to the pot. (Alternatively, you may use an immersion blender briefly to purée the stew directly in the pot.) Add the escarole. Simmer for 5 minutes until the escarole is tender, adding more water if the mixture is too thick.