White Bean And Escarole Soup With Spicy Polenta Recipes

ESCAROLE AND BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the escarole and saute until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt. Add the chicken broth, beans, and Parmesan cheese. Cover and simmer until the beans are heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Ladle the soup into 6 bowls. Drizzle 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil over each. Serve with crusty bread.

WHITE BEAN AND ESCAROLE SOUP

Steps:

• Serving suggestions:
• Drizzle each serving with extra-virgin olive oil and/or sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and serve with a good crusty bread.
• In a soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat, add the pancetta, and saute for about 5 minutes. Remove meat with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the onion and saute until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary, and pepper flakes; saute for 3 minutes more. Add the escarole, stirring for 2 minutes more. Add the beans, tomato, broth, and salt to taste; bring to a boil. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in the reserved pancetta and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the oil and/or cheese and the crusty bread. Cook's note: Swiss chard is a welcome substitute for the escarole.
• Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.

WHITE BEAN AND ESCAROLE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan along with the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Season with the salt and cook, stirring often for about 4 minutes, or until fragrant and soft. Add the red pepper flakes, if using, and cannellini beans and stir to combine.
• Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the escarole and stir to wilt. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Serve topped with a drizzle of the remaining olive oil, fennel pollen and Parmigiano-Reggiano, if using.

WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH ESCAROLE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a 4 quart saucepan. Add onion and carrots, cover and simmer 5 minutes or until tender. If vegetables stick to saucepan, add some water, cover and continue to simmer.
• Add the garlic and saute for a moment. Add 1 of the cans of beans and mash with a potato masher. Add the other can of beans along with the broth and bring to a simmer with the sage. Simmer 10 minutes or until as thick as you like it. If too thick, add more water; if too thin, boil down until some of the liquid has evaporated.
• Stir the escarole or romaine lettuce into the pot, cover and simmer 5 minutes or until lettuce is tender. Uncover, add parsley and adjust seasoning. Serve with bread and salad for a complete meal.

ESCAROLE AND WHITE BEAN SOUP

Steps:

• Cook escarole in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 5 minutes, then transfer with slotted spoon to a large bowl of ice and cold water to stop cooking. Drain escarole in a colander, pressing gently to remove excess water.
• Heat oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté onion, garlic, celery, and carrots, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 8 minutes.
• Add chicken broth and water and bring to a boil, then add escarole and beans and simmer, uncovered, until carrots and celery are tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

TOASTED SPELT SOUP WITH ESCAROLE AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Pulse onion in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat with fennel, carrot, and celery, placing vegetables in bowl with onion.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot. Add pancetta and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add spelt and cook, stirring often, until grains are a couple of shades darker, about 3 minutes.
• Add onion, fennel, carrot, celery, and garlic to pot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 6-8 minutes. Add tomato paste and red pepper flakes, and cook until paste is slightly darkened, about 1 minute.
• Add broth to pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until spelt is tender, 60-70 minutes. Stir escarole and beans into soup and cook until escarole is wilted and beans are warmed though, about 4 minutes.
• Serve soup drizzled with oil and topped with Parmesan.
• DO AHEAD: Soup can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

WHITE BEAN SOUP WITH ESCAROLE

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until tender. Add broth, tomatoes, Italian seasoning and pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes., Stir in orzo and escarole. Return to a boil; cook 12-14 minutes or until orzo is tender. Add beans; heat through, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle servings with cheese. Freeze option: Freeze cooled soup in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little broth if necessary.

WHITE BEAN AND ESCAROLE SOUP WITH SPICY POLENTA

Steps:

• Place beans in heavy medium saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by 3 inches. Soak overnight. Drain. Return beans to pan. Add 8 cups water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently until beans are tender, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool beans completely in liquid.
• Place remaining 4 cups water, prosciutto, 1/2 garlic head, and 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds in heavy large saucepan. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Strain prosciutto broth into large measuring cup, reserving solids in strainer for soup. Add enough water to prosciutto broth to measure 4 cups. Return broth mixture to same saucepan. Add dried crushed red pepper, 2 tablespoons oil, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds. Gradually whisk in polenta. Bring to boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease large baking sheet. Spread polenta on prepared baking sheet, pressing with wet hands into 1-inch-thick round. Make 2-inch hole in center to allow steam to escape during baking. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Bake until crisp at edges, about 35 minutes.
• Meanwhile, drain beans, reserving 3 cups cooking liquid. Heat remaining 1/2 cup oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add remaining 1/2 garlic head, cut side down, and sauté 2 minutes. Add escarole and sauté until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add beans with 3 cups cooking liquid. Remove skins from garlic in reserved solids from prosciutto broth; add solids to soup. Simmer soup 10 minutes to blend flavors. Season soup generously with salt and pepper. Discard remaining halved garlic from soup.
• Ladle soup into shallow soup bowls. Cut polenta into wedges. Serve alongside soup.