Tuscan Escarole and Beans Soup

 

Tuscan Escarole and Beans Soup is a delicious soup loaded with escarole and white beans, creating a tasty dish that everyone will love. It’s ready in 30 minutes and is satisfying for everyone, including vegetarians and vegans.

A white soup bowl with a serving of white beans and escarole.

Reasons we LOVE this Tuscan Escarole and Beans Soup!

  • Our Tuscan Escarole and Beans Soup is loaded with fiber and protein.
  • Packed with flavor, protein, fiber, and vitamins!
  • Plus, it’s a very inexpensive meal to make.
  • This recipe will make enough to feed a family. 
  • Every spoonful will melt-in-your-mouth!
  • It’s perfect for these early autumn days and it whips up quickly. 
  • And, if you have tried out Tuscan Swiss Chard and Beans Soup?  Then you will love this one too! 

   

Two heads of fresh escarole on the counter.

What is Escarole?

Escarole is a green vegetable related to the chicory and endive family.  And, it’s very popular in Southern Italy.  Escarole can be used raw in salads, added to soups, or sauteed as a side dish. 

We love making our Mom’s Sauteed Escarole from time to time.  It makes a wonderful side dish that is quick and easy. 

Where can we find escarole?

You will find escarole in the fresh produce section of most supermarkets.  It’s a leafy green vegetable some of you may have never heard of or noticed. More commonly used as a vegetable chopped for salads.   

What to Look For When Buying Escarole… 

  • fresh-looking and crisp leaves, not wilting

  • also, and no yellow or brownish coloring in the leaves

  • if they don’t look fresh, find someone who is working in the produce department and ask him if there are any new crates of escarole in the back. Most likely, he will search for a fresh new box for you.  

 

Tips for Success:

  • It’s best to buy 2 bunches of escarole for this recipe, especially since escarole will shrink to a very small amount when it’s cooked down.  

  • It’s a good idea to buy a few cans of cannellini beans or Northern white beans and keep them in your pantry. You can easily whip up this soup and other dishes in minutes when you need one. 

How to Make Escarole and Beans Soup?

This recipe is relatively easy. Simply clean the chop the escarole. Then sauté it in a large soup pot. Add the beans along with the vegetables and simmer for a few minutes.

Directions To Make Tuscan Escarole and Beans Soup:

1.  First, cut and remove the cord from the bottom.   Then with a long sharp knife, carefully cut the escarole into thirds or fourths.  Toss into a large mixing bowl or salad spinner and rinse under cold running water.  Drain in a colander.  

Fresh escarole chopped and rinsed in a bowl. by 2sistersrecipes.com  

2.  Next, using a large cooking pot,  heat olive oil over medium heat, add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and sauté the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes to soften.  Turn off the heat. ( must have the lid to the pot nearby).

3.  Toss in the wet Escarole and cover with the lid.  Lower the heat and simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes, until the escarole shrinks down, stirring with kitchen tongs occasionally. 

Escarole is placed into a large pot to cook.  Then the beans, and tomatoes are added.

4.   Add all the rest of the ingredients, give it a good stir to blend, and cover with a lid.  Simmer the soup for 20 minutes.  Turn off heat and serve. 

A white bowl filled with a soup made with white beans and escarole.

Health Benefits of Eating Escarole:

  • escarole is packed with nutrients and contains high levels of vitamin E, A, and fiber. 
  • helps prevent cancer
  • also, high levels in Calcium for stronger bones and teeth
  • helps support digestion
  • helps lose weight 

For more nutritional facts about escarole check out Health Benefits Times.

Tuscan Escarole and Beans Soup make a delicious meal in a hurry! 

This is such a delicious meal all alone.  It makes the perfect meal for meatless nights.  Serve this soup with some crusty bread, or with a grilled cheese and pear sandwich on the side, and dinner is done. Our soup will serve 6 to 8 servings.  And it reheats beautifully. 

Try this recipe, it won’t disappoint!

ENJOY!!

More Soup Recipes…

Your Comments Help! Tried our Tuscan Escarole Beans Soup? Let us know and leave a comment and star rating in our recipe card above!   We’d love to hear from you!  

Tuscan Escarole and Beans Soup by 2sistersrecipes.com

Tuscan Escarole and Beans Soup

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Tuscan Escarole and Beans Soup is a delicious soup loaded with escarole and white beans, creating a tasty dish that everyone will love. It's ready in 30 minutes and is totally satisfying for everyone, including vegetarians and vegans.

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches of Escarole
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves - sliced
  • 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 cans (15-ounce) cannellini beans or great northern beans - rinsed, drained
  • 1 + 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1/8 tsp. of dried oregano
  • 2 cups of water
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 large ripe tomato- chopped
  • fresh cracked black pepper to taste
  • Optional: 1 Parmigiano-Reggiano rind

Instructions

  1. First, cut off the ends of each bunch of escarole. Chop escarole into thirds or fourths. Then rinse escarole in a large bowl a few times and drain in a colander. Do the same with the second bunch. Set aside.
  2. In a large saucepot, heat olive oil over medium heat, add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and saute the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes to soften. Turn off the heat. ( must have the lid to the pot nearby).
  3. Toss in the wet Escarole and cover with the lid. Turn back on the heat, on medium-low heat, and allow the escarole to saute and simmer for about 5 minutes. Use kitchen tongs to help stir it occasionally. The escarole will shink down and the liquid on the bottom with be watery and that's good.
  4. Add salt, garlic powder, dried oregano, white beans, chopped tomato, water, and vegetable broth. Add one additional tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil to the soup for more flavor.
  5. Cover again with the lid, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes more.
  6. Turn off the heat. Here is where you can drop 1 or two rinds of Parmigiano-Reggiano into the soup. Leave it in the soup for 10 minutes. It will slowly melt and give more flavor to this soup. Then fish it out and discard before serving.
  7. Taste and season with black pepper to taste. Feel free to add more salt, if you prefer.
  8. Yield: 6 servings

Notes

This is a thick, hearty soup. If you prefer more broth, by all means, add in additional 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water or vegetable broth to this recipe. And enjoy!

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 servings Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 230Total Fat: 8.9gCarbohydrates: 26.1gFiber: 12.3gSugar: 2.2gProtein: 11.1g

Did you make this recipe?

Mention @2sistersrecipes on Instagram or tag #2sistersrecipes!

A white soup bowl filled with white beans, escarole and tomatoes in a broth.

Stay Healthy … and Happy Cooking!   🙂

Thanks for stopping by! 

xo Anna and Liz

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10 Comments

  1. I am living outside of Naples and trying to work on italian recipes. We are vegan and was excited to see you have a bunch of vegan recipes. The scaroli are huge here so I made with 1 bunch. It was great and even better on day 2 for lunch!! Grazie!

    1. Grazie Mille Dana! Welcome to our blog, it’s so nice to meet you! We adore Naples and hope we can return soon after this pandemic passes. I’m so glad you found us, and I know we have one or two more escarole recipes in our archives, so please take a look and enjoy our recipes!
      Buona Giornata!

  2. I’m starting to save soup recipes for the chilly weather ahead and this sounds amazing! I’ve never tried escarole in soup and can’t wait to try it!

    1. OMG this is so good Susan, we grew up eating escarole every week. So it’s funny how I’m just getting around to posting more of our mom’s recipes. You will enjoy this one, I’m sure if it. Have a great weekend! and thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a sweet comment. 🙂

    1. Thank you so much, Rahul! It’s been chilly these past few days, and a hearty but easy soup like this one is a winner! ENJOY! 🙂