Escarole and White Bean Soup

When I find fresh escarole at my local market I  break out in a dance. You just don't see it very often. I have been waiting to try this Italian classic soup. I like cooking my own beans. You can impart all kinds of lovely flavors into them. So, first take one cup of dried white beans and place them into a sauce pan. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. You will then shut off the heat and cover. Let it stand for one hour. Now drain the beans and place them back into the sauce pan. Now add water to cover. Place into the pot a fresh bay leaf, two cloves of garlic, half an onion, one stock of celery and one carrot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer. Cook for about one hour. Now shut off the heat and add two teaspoons of kosher salt. Let stand while you make the soup.


For the soup you will need one onion diced, one leek diced, one celery stock diced, and two small carrots diced. You will also dice three slices of smokey bacon. Add all the ingredients into a cast iron pot with some olive oil and brown. Now add two minced cloves of garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Sauté for a few minutes and then add seven cups of good quality chicken stock to the pot. Drain and rinse the beans removing and discarding the vegetables. Add the beans to the pot. Add one large bunch of fresh chopped escarole to the soup pot. Bring to a boil and taste for seasoning. Serve the soup topped with Parmesan cheese.