White Bean Soup with Escarole

This escarole and bean soup recipe combines classic Mediterranean ingredients. Escarole is one of several bitter greens that are much-loved throughout the region and include the better-known radicchio and broccoli raab. Its bitter note isn’t as prominent in the finished soup, but it does help ground the rest of the soup’s flavors.

This is the kind of soup you can serve at any time of the year. It’s brothy enough for the late-summer heat, but still substantial enough to help you beat the winter’s cold. Add in some crusty bread, and it could be a light meal all on its own.

Ingredients for Escarole and Bean Soup

• Olive oil: Any cooking oil works in this recipe, but olive oil’s healthful balance of unsaturated fats makes it a good choice.
• Onion: Onions provide a savory, slightly sweet flavor that works in almost any soup.
• Garlic: This soup is garlic-forward by design, leaning into the pungent bulb’s assertive flavor.
• Chicken broth: The use of prepared chicken broth (and canned beans) turns what would normally be a long-simmering soup into a dish you can have on the table in little more than a half-hour.
• Diced tomatoes: The tomatoes and their juices contribute both volume and flavor to the soup.
• Italian seasoning: This blend of herbs provides a convenient way to add regionally appropriate flavors to this Mediterranean-style soup.
• Orzo: This extra-small pasta shape resembles grains of rice (though the name translates as “barley”), and it’s a good choice for use in soups.
• Red pepper flakes: This recipe doesn’t call for enough pepper flakes to make it noticeably hot. They just add a pleasant tingle, as black pepper does in many other soups.
• Escarole (or spinach): The greens add a bold color to the soup, and provide a healthy boost to its nutritional values. Escarole is the sturdier of the two and has a pleasing hint of bitterness that lends interest to the soup.
• Cannelini beans: These bite-sized white beans add protein and fiber to the soup, and their creamy texture makes a pleasant contrast with the greens.
• Parmesan cheese: The hard grating cheese brings a salty finish to the soup and packs a wallop of savory umami notes.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the soup’s base

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the onion and stir until they soften, adding the garlic once the onions are nearly ready. Pour in the broth and then add the tomatoes, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Bring the broth mixture to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer the soup base uncovered for 15 minutes.

Editor’s tip: Garlic scorches and burns easily. Do not add them at the same time as the onions, they will often burn and take on a harsh, bitter flavor.

Step 2: Finish the soup

Stir in the orzo and escarole. Raise the heat until the soup reaches a low boil and cook for another 12 to 14 minutes until the orzo is tender (check the package directions for its recommended cooking time). Add the beans and stir until they’re heated through, approximately another three to four minutes. Serve the soup immediately, dividing the shredded Parmesan between the bowls as a garnish.

Editor’s tip: If you’re using spinach rather than escarole, add it at the same time as the cannellini beans. Escarole is sturdy and needs more cooking time, but spinach wilts easily in those three to four minutes the beans take to warm up.

Escarole and Bean Soup Recipe Variations

• Use the greens you’ve got: Escarole is sometimes hard to find in stores. Belgian endive is a nearly direct substitute, or you could use curly frisee, kale, chard, turnip or beet tops, Napa cabbage, pak choy, or any other leafy greens that will stand up to a bit of simmering. Radicchio works, too (it tastes a lot like escarole) and will bring a more dramatic appearance to the soup.
• Swap the beans: Cannellini beans are great in soup, but so are a lot of others. You could use navy beans or another small white bean instead. Orca beans’ two-tone color scheme makes them an interesting option if you can find them. Otherwise, go with whatever you like and have available, whether it’s pintos or kidney beans or a regional favorite like black-eyed peas.
• Use a different pasta: Orzo is a good size and shape for soups, in part because it’s so small that it won’t absorb too much of the broth if you have leftovers. The Italian repertoire includes many similar small shapes that can lend visual interest to your soup. Tiny round acini di pepe (“peppercorns”), anellini (“little rings”), thimble-shaped ditalini and many others are all meant for exactly this kind of use.

How to Store Escarole and Bean Soup

How long will this escarole and bean soup last?

None of the ingredients in the soup are especially perishable, so it will keep nicely for four to five days. Make sure to refrigerate your leftovers as soon as possible after the meal, because the longer your soup sits out the shorter its storage life will be.

How should I store leftover escarole and bean soup?

It’s best to separate leftover soup into flat containers holding one or two servings each because they’ll cool more quickly that way. Once they’ve cooled completely you can snap lids onto the containers and stack them in a suitable corner of your fridge. Alternatively, you can store the leftover soup in a covered bowl, though it will take longer to cool in your fridge.

Can I freeze this white bean and escarole soup?

Yes, the soup freezes and thaws pretty well. The vegetables and pasta will soften slightly in the process, but not enough to affect your enjoyment.

Escarole and Bean Soup Recipe Tips

Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned ones?

If you have access to good tomatoes from your garden or a local farmer’s market, by all means, use them in the soup. It’s best to peel the tomatoes first, though you can skip this step if you must (it just means you’ll have small, tough pieces of skin in your soup). Dice the tomatoes and add them to the soup just as you would the canned kind and include their juice and jelly (you can strain out the seeds first, if you’d like, for a neater appearance). Canned tomatoes are treated with calcium to help them hold their shape, but fresh tomatoes will soften as the soup simmers, so don’t overcook them.

Is there an easy way to chop the greens?

Escarole looks and feels like a sturdier version of Romaine lettuce, so you may find it easier to tear the leaves than cut them. Spinach can also be torn if you prefer. For faster prep, stack several large leaves of escarole or spinach and then roll them into a tight cigar shape. Cut across the roll to make thumb-width slices, then cut lengthwise down the middle of the roll to turn them into coarse spoon-sized shreds.

What if I don’t want to use crushed pepper flakes?

If you’re heat-sensitive and don’t keep crushed red peppers on hand, that’s fine. Substitute a few shakes or grinds of black pepper, and the soup will still taste as it should.