Toasted Spelt Soup With Escarole And White Beans Recipes

TOASTED SPELT SOUP WITH ESCAROLE AND WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• Pulse onion in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat with fennel, carrot, and celery, placing vegetables in bowl with onion.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large pot. Add pancetta and cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add spelt and cook, stirring often, until grains are a couple of shades darker, about 3 minutes.
• Add onion, fennel, carrot, celery, and garlic to pot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 6-8 minutes. Add tomato paste and red pepper flakes, and cook until paste is slightly darkened, about 1 minute.
• Add broth to pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, partially covered, until spelt is tender, 60-70 minutes. Stir escarole and beans into soup and cook until escarole is wilted and beans are warmed though, about 4 minutes.
• Serve soup drizzled with oil and topped with Parmesan.
• DO AHEAD: Soup can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

WHITE BEAN AND ESCAROLE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the pan along with the onion, celery, carrot and garlic. Season with the salt and cook, stirring often for about 4 minutes, or until fragrant and soft. Add the red pepper flakes, if using, and cannellini beans and stir to combine.
• Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium to maintain a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Add the escarole and stir to wilt. Cook an additional 5 minutes. Serve topped with a drizzle of the remaining olive oil, fennel pollen and Parmigiano-Reggiano, if using.

TOMATO AND ESCAROLE SOUP WITH WHITE BEANS

Steps:

• In a large dutch oven over a medium-high flame, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent, and the garlic begins to "dance".
• To the onion and garlic add the broth and the carrots; bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes - or until the carrots are almost tender.
• Stir in the tomatoes with juice, ham, orzo (or your choice), red pepper, black pepper, and water. Increase the heat to medium high and return to a simmer. Cook until pasta is tender (about 5 minutes). Add white beans and escarole; cover and cook - stirring often - until escarole is tender and the flavors blend (approximately another 5 minutes). Ladle into warmed soup bowls and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. A freshly tossed salad and warm crusty bread makes this meal complete!

MARK BITTMAN'S WHITE BEAN AND ESCAROLE SOUP

Steps:

• Put half the oil in a large, deep skillet or casserole and turn heat to medium. Put half the garlic in oil, with and chilies. Stir occasionally until garlic begins to color. Add escarole and tomatoes and stir; add beans and stock or water and adjust heat so mixture simmers steadily. Cover.
• Cook about 15 minutes, or until escarole is tender. Stir in rest of garlic and cook another minute, then taste and adjust seasoning, drizzle with reserved olive oil, and serve.