Escarole and White Bean Soup

Escarole is a variety of endive and is available year round in your grocery store. I enjoy it most added to a hearty soup in the winter. This soup recipe will serve 4 and only takes a few minutes to prepare and cooking time is only 20 minutes.

In a soup pot, sauté 1 chopped yellow onion in 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat for a minute or two until soft.
Next add _ to 1 pound of Italian sausage (or any sausage of your choice), and continue to cook, stirring often, until the meat is no longer pink and onions are golden, this will take you about 5 minutes.
Now take a 1-pound bunch or head of escarole and cut out the core end, then stack and slice the leaves crosswise into ribbons. Put the greens in a big bowl and fill with cold water; swish the greens to get out all the grit, then drain through a colander.

Now you are ready to add the escarole to the soup pot by dropping the greens into the soup pot with the water clinging to them. Stir until the greens just start to wilt, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Next pour in 6 cups of homemade chicken stock or 4 cups canned chicken broth and 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Now reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in 1-1/2 cups of cooked white beans or a 15-ounce can of drained and rinsed cannelloni or navy beans. Then cover the pot and cook 10 minutes more.
Let the soup sit off the heat for a few minutes before ladling into bowls. It’s best of you add some freshly grated parmesan cheese to the top.