Escarole Soup (Zuppa di Scarola)

This hearty Italian soup is packed with flavor from sausage, escarole, and beans. It's perfect for a cold winter day.

Yield: 8 servings Prep time: 10 minutes Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, prosciutto ends, sopressata, or pepperoni

• 4 quarts chicken stock

• 6 garlic cloves, minced

• Black pepper

• 1 pound dry white beans, rinsed and drained

• 2 heads escarole, chopped into 1-inch pieces (about 4 cups)

• 1/4 teaspoon oregano

• 3-4 fresh basil leaves

• Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1 bay leaf (optional)

• Salt

• Freshly grated Romano cheese

• Garlic bread, for dipping (optional)

Instructions:

1. Brown the sausage in a large soup pot. Remove the sausage from the pot and slice it into rounds or cubes. Set aside.

2. Add the chicken stock, garlic, and several grindings of black pepper to the soup pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

3. Add the beans, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes (if using), and bay leaf (if using) to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

4. Add the cooked sausage back to the pot and simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the beans are tender.

5. Add the escarole and cook until the escarole is wilted and tender.

6. Season the soup with salt to taste.

7. Serve hot with plenty of freshly grated Romano cheese and garlic bread for dipping (if desired).

Tips:

• You can use any type of sausage you like in this soup.

• If you don't have fresh escarole, you can use kale or Swiss chard.

• This soup is even better the next day! Let it cool completely, then store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

A Warm Hug in a Bowl: Escarole Soup (Zuppa di Scarole)

There's nothing quite like the comforting embrace of a bowl of steaming soup on a chilly winter day. The aroma of simmering broth, the warmth that spreads through your body with each spoonful – it's the ultimate wintertime indulgence. And when it comes to soul-warming soups, Escarole Soup, or Zuppa di Scarola, reigns supreme.

This hearty Italian soup is a symphony of flavors. The smoky sausage, the earthy escarole, the rich broth – it's a culinary masterpiece that will warm you from the inside out. The process of making it is a true labor of love, a slow simmering of ingredients that culminates in a bowl of pure comfort.

The aroma that fills the kitchen as the soup simmers is truly magical. It's a comforting blend of savory sausage, aromatic herbs, and the earthy goodness of the escarole. It's the kind of smell that makes you want to pull up a chair, grab a crusty loaf of bread, and settle in for a cozy evening.

But Escarole Soup is more than just a delicious meal; it's a connection to culinary traditions. It's a reminder of the simple pleasures of home cooking, of the joy of sharing a bowl of warmth with loved ones.

So, the next time the weather outside is frightful, I encourage you to embrace the magic of Escarole Soup. It's a culinary hug in a bowl, a reminder that even on the coldest of days, warmth and comfort are always within reach.

P.S. Don't forget to share your culinary creations with me on social media! I'd love to see your delicious bowls of Escarole Soup. I'm on all sorts of platforms, you can find them on my LinkTree by clicking the emojis.

🦋 𝕏 📌 📸 @ 𝅘𝅥𝅮 🔵