It’s a little warm for soup, but I had a (once) lovely head of escarole that spent a little bit too much time on the shelf. Since I’ve only had it for 2 or 3 days, I’m guessing it traveled a long way. After rummaging through the fridge, I also found half a head of fennel and lots of onions. In the freezer, I found several packages of homemade sausage in the freezer that have been winking at me for weeks now. Okay, months.
So, to rescue the veggies, I decided to make a soup. Browsing the internet, there are many recipes for soup with escarole. Some have beans, so do not. Some have potatoes, some do not. Some are partially pureed to thicken, so are not.
Not following any one recipe, I decided to utilize what I had, from the fridge (escarole, fennel, and white beans), the freezer (homemade italian sausage), and the garden (leeks and rosemary).
Here’s what we used. The basic recipe is sausage, onions, cooked beans, water and escarole. If you just have this, you will have a great soup.
Here’s my expanded version.
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2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
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1 pound bulk Italian sausage
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1 onion, minced
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1/2 head of fennel, diced small
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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one 2 to 3 inch sprig fresh rosemary
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the greens of one leek, sliced in ribbons
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15-ounce can white beans, or 2 cups leftover cooked white (tarbais or cannellini) beans
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2 cups diced potatoes, such as yukon or reds
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4-8 cups water, chicken stock, vegetable stock, or any combination thereof
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1 head escarole, washed well, and sliced into thin ribbons (about 6 to 8 cups)
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about 2 to 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes (optional thickener)
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salt and pepper, to taste
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grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese, to garnish
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good olive oil, to garnish
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red pepper, to garnish to taste
When did you add in the sausage?
Thanks for catching that! It’s been updated. (I usually start with browning the sausage)