escarole

 

As a soup lover, I try to come out with new and delicious ways of adding loads of veggies and nutrition into one big pot!  Soups are all about flavour!!! Who wants to eat a bowl of soup that doesn’t have enough seasoning, herbs and taste. That’s how I came up with this recipe.  I love the taste of cooked escarole so I made this soup based on this one vegetable “escarole” as the star of this dish.  I love it paired with beans so I wanted to keep the two together.  That is how I recreated my traditional “escarole & bean soup” to include carrots, potatoes and chicken broth, as well as making it a “heartier” soup.

Escarole, as part of the Endive family, has many nutritional benefits such as: fiber, vitamin C and minerals, just to name a few.  Escarole is a common vegetable widely used in “Italian cooking”.  Growing up, this was such a common vegetable used in our home that my parents grew it in our own backyard.

There are so many combinations of vegetables that can make a great tasting soup.  My 3 main ingredients are always carrots, celery & onions (known as the “trinity”).  Soups are also one of the most nutritious dishes you can eat.  Especially since we need our 5 to 10 servings of fruits & vegetables daily.  It can be quite difficult to get the full amount on a daily basis but with soups including this soup, it makes it easier to eat well.  Did you know that garlic, onions & shallots are also considered a type of vegetable as well, known as the “allium vegetables?”

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Now for the delicious & nutritious recipe:

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

1 bunch escarole (cut into thin long strips)

2 carrots (diced)

2 garlic cloves (sliced)

1 shallot (diced)

1 can small navy beans (rinsed & drained)

1 litre of good quality chicken broth (or vegetable broth, to keep this a vegetarian soup)

2 red potatoes (chopped)

1 tbsp. tomato paste

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp. sea salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. Ginger (powder or fresh), optional

MEATBALL RECIPE IS POSTED ON MY SITE @WWW.YUMDELISH.CA UNDER “MEAT DISHES”

DIRECTIONS:

In a dutch oven pan, heat up 2 tbsp. olive oil and add the shallot, garlic & carrots, saute for a few minutes.  Now add the potatoes, salt, pepper and the tomato paste, heating up the tomato paste and combining everything well, keeping the heat on low.  Now add the chicken broth, the chopped escarole, season with salt & pepper.  Cover the pan and cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes.  Add the cooked meatballs and beans.  Let cook for an additional 20 minutes on simmer and still covered.

Soup is ready when once the potatoes are tender and the escarole has softened.

*Serve hot with crunch bread, as an option!!!*