Up until recently, escarole was nothing more than a salad green to me. I mean, it’s my favorite salad green, but I never bothered to cook with it. But that all changed recenty. I’d picked up a few heads of escarole for salads, and then got to craving some soup. I knew escarole soup was a thing, so I decided to give it a go. Now I have a new favorite soup!
What Does Escarole Taste Like?
Escarole in a salad tastes quite different than escarole in soup! In it’s raw form, escarole is crunchy and mild. I even find it to be a bit sweet. But cook it in some broth, and escarole releases a delicious bitterness. It’s SO GOOD! It adds enough flavor to your broth that you’ll barely need to season your soup. Some garlic and lemon juice is plenty for me!
How to Make Escarole Soup
Heat up some olive oil in a large pot. Once the oil is hot, add some garlic. I use 4 cloves, but I encourage you to go crazy if you’re a garlic fiend. Cook the garlic for just about a minute, until it becomes very fragrant. Now add some vegetable broth. Crank the heat and bring the broth to a simmer, then stir in some ditalini pasta, canned chickpeas, and red pepper flakes. Let everything simmer for about 5 minutes, then stir in a whole bunch of chopped escarole. Bring the soup back up to a boil, lower the heat, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes, until the pasta is tender and the escarole is completely wilted. Take the pot off of the burner and stir in some lemon juice. Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste. Grab a bowl! I like to top my escarole soup with a sprinkle of vegan Parmesan cheese.
Can this soup be made gluten-free? Yup! Just use your favorite small gluten-free pasta.Is there a way to reduce the sodium in this soup? Most of the sodium comes from the broth, so try using a low sodium vegetable broth.Leftovers & storage: Store leftover soup in a sealed container in the fridge, where it will keep for about 3 days. The pasta will continue to suck up water as it sits, so add more liquid when reheating if needed!Feel free to switch things up and make this soup your own! Substitute a different type of bean for chickpeas — cannellini or butter beans would work great! Try a different type of small pasta, like orzo, or shells — or skip the pasta.Looking for more vegan Italian-inspired soup recipes? Try my pasta e fagioli, minestrone, Italian wedding soup, or ribollita.
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