White Bean Soup with Escarole
This escarole and bean soup has become a favorite because it uses kitchen staples, it's packed with healthy ingredients and is a cinch to prepare. If I can't find escarole, I sub fresh spinach at the very end of cooking. —Gina Samokar, North Haven, Connecticut
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 cup uncooked whole wheat orzo pasta
- 1 bunch escarole or spinach, coarsely chopped (about 8 cups)
- 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Reviews
What a great recipe! I used 2 boxes of Emeril's Organic Chicken Broth (64oz total), doubled the onions, garlic, seasoning, 2 cans of the beans and baby spinach and left out the pasta and red pepper flakes. Escarole doesn't reheat well but the spinach is delicious and stands up to reheating nicely. Baby spinach is small enough that it doesn't need to be chopped. I simmered the soup for 20-25 minutes and tossed in the spinach for an additional 5 minutes. I doubled the batch so that there would be enough for a second meal the next day ... but it is so delicious ... there was only one serving left! I think adding sausage or chicken is a great idea too!
This soup is excellent. I made it almost as written, the only difference I used 3/4 c. of pasta, because it absorbs less liquid and I added one Ekridge turkey smoked sausage, diced small. It was so good. My wife had two bowls when she got home from work. I've eaten escarole and beans all my life, it was a Lenten staple on Fridays, but the addition of the pasta and the tomatoes made it a hearty soup. Give the turkey sausage a try, it gives a nice smoky.
Loved this soup!. Made it according to directions, but with spinach and regular orzo. Also, used Pecorino Romano cheese because it gives the soup a little tang.
While this had excellent flavor, I added about 1/2 cup of elbow noodles to it (because I couldn't find orzo), and they swelled up so much, it was hilarious! :) I will make this next time, and omit the noodles or orzo, because I really think this soup will be better without them.
Delicious. I added Andouie sausage and 3 cans of beans instead of 1. Great with crusty bread!!!
This soup was incredibly good! It was really easy to make, too. Be sure to use the reduced sodium chicken broth, though. I used regular and it was still good, but a bit salty.
Excellent recipe!! Added a pack of sausages so my meat-eater husband would eat the soup tooGreat with and without meat!
Absolutely amazing!!!! The flavor of the broth is to die for. This will be made over and over again! A new family favorite. Thanks for sharing this simple yet most delicious soup!
I rate this soup five star because of how easy it is to make. Yes, I made some changes, but I used enough of the basic recipe to know that if you make it as written exactly, you will not be disappointed. One, I doubled the ingredients because I wanted left overs. Two, I added some mushrooms to the soup and I used baby spinach instead of escarole and I didn't bother chopping it. I did not use two cups of regular orzo pasta and instead used approximately 1 3/4 cups because I wanted more soup and less pasta. I also added cut up chicken to the soup. I will make it again using these changes.
Made this yesterday Excellent!!!!!! Will make again.Could not find whole wheat Orzo, so I used small shells also added some cubed ham DELICIOUS!!!