Escarole and Bean Soup with Italian Sausage

Soups are on constant rotation in our home now that the weather has officially turned to fall. This recipe is one that my mom has made since my childhood and is my absolute favorite. I have now since changed and added a few ingredients in, like the sausage which you can definitely leave out if you’re vegetarian. Furthermore, adding in the juice of one lemon at the end of the recipe will bring out the flavor of all the ingredients combined. Let me know if you decide to make this one.

The Soup

One recipe I recently have had on repeat is Escarole soup featuring beans and sliced Italian sausage. These are all quick ingredients you can find at grocery stores such as chicken stock, fresh escarole and canned beans. Now, you can use any beans you’d like, such as small white beans, navy beans or even great northern beans. We prefer hot Italian sausage, but sweet Italian sausage is always another great option for this escarole recipe.

Moreover, as we enter the winter, the months are long, dark and cold and a soup recipe is hearty meal that does a great job at filling you up. Always feel free to add a leafy green to your delicious soup for rich flavor and veggie daily values. Grab a large soup pot, red pepper flakes and a slotted spoon and let’s begin!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of Italian sausage (I usually get 2 spicy sausage links and 2 reg sausage links)

2 heads of escarole

2 cans cannellini beans

2 cartons of chicken and vegetable stock

4 cloves garlic

1/4 pound fresh parmesan cheese

Salt/Black Pepper

Red Pepper

Lemon

Instructions:

If ground sausage is unavailable at the store, regular sausage in casing works just fine. The sausage links will have to be removed from the casing for this recipe! Another important step to note is that the escarole needs cleaning thoroughly. Start by adding some EVOO to a big pot and cooking the sausage fully. Once the sausage is fully cooked remove from pot, and start sautéing your garlic and red pepper. After two or three minutes, add in your beans and stir for our four minutes. Next add in your stock, and put the sausage back in. After 10-15 minutes, add in your parmesan rind, and escarole. Cook down the escarole. Season with salt and pepper. Once the gas on the stove is turned off, add in about 1/2 juice from lemon to give the soup a fresh taste.

Garnish with parmesan and you can also have toasted bread on the side for dipping!

Enjoy!

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