Escarole and Bean

Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 60 mins | Servings: 4 to 6 | Difficulty: Easy

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

12 oz. center cut bacon, chopped

1 large head escarole, washed and cut into pieces

1 onion, chopped

1 sprig fresh rosemary 

3 garlic cloves, minced

White wine, to deglaze pot

8 ounces fresh mushrooms, roughly chopped

4 15-ounce cans cannelloni beans, drained 

5 cups chicken broth, low sodium 

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons Parmigiana cheese, grated

Salt and pepper to taste

 Set a large Dutch oven, or soup pot, over medium heat. Add chopped bacon and render until just crisping - about 7 - 10 minutes. Transfer cooked bacon pieces to a medium bowl and set aside. Discard most (not all) bacon fat. In the same pot, sauté escarole until leaves are wilted. Transfer escarole to bowl with bacon. With pot now empty, add two tablespoons of oil and one tablespoon of butter. Over medium heat, add onion and rosemary sprig. Sauté onion until translucent and well softened. Make a well in the center of pot, add garlic and drizzle some oil over garlic, then cook a minute or two more - don't burn garlic! Add a splash a wine to pot and deglaze any residue off the bottom of pan, cooking until wine evaporates. Empty contents of pot into same bowl with escarole/bacon mixture. Now, add mushrooms to pot and sauté until they lose their liquid and start to brown. Transfer mushrooms to bowl with other cooked ingredients. Again, deglaze pot with a splash of wine and cook until mostly evaporated.

Add all beans to pot. With back of a dinner fork mash about 1/3 of the beans (this makes the soup creamier). Return pot to medium heat, add chicken stock and cook 20 minutes at a light simmer, stirring occasionally. Return contents of bowl; bacon crisps, escarole, onion, mushrooms, and all juices back to pot. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. At the end of the cooking process, stir in grated cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Cook until everything incorporates. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. (If the soup is too thick, add more stock. If too thin, simmer longer, uncovered.) 

Before serving, remove sprig of rosemary. It's okay if most of the rosemary leaves have fallen off, but the stem should be discarded. Serve with crusty bread. 

 Prep Time: 15 mins | Cook Time: 5 hrs | Servings: 1 serving | Difficulty: Easy 

 5 large yellow onions, peeled, sliced thin

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon salt

1 heaping tablespoon flour

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 cup dry sherry (substitute Marsala wine)

2 quarts beef stock

2 bay leafs

6 springs of thyme

1 teaspoon sherry wine vinegar

Ground pepper

1 crusty baguette

1/2 lb Gruyere, grated

PREPARATION: Carefully tie thyme springs and bay leaves together with cooking twine (this spice-wrap makes it easier to discard stems and bay leaves later on). Peel, then slice the onions lengthwise into thin (not paper-thin), uniform pieces. 

COOK: In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter and oil. Add onions, salt, and coat onions in butter. Reduce heat to very low. Cook one hour, stirring every 15 minutes, or until onions have released liquid. Raise heat to low-medium and continue cooking slowly, stirring the onions about every 15 minutes for 4 hours more, until onions are caramelized and a rich brown - careful not to burn.

Sprinkle flour over onion mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring for about 3 minutes. Add wine and sherry, bring to a low simmer and cook until liquid has evaporated and onions are almost dry. Add beef stock and spice wrap and simmer. Let liquid reduce - about an hour. Season with salt and pepper and a few drops of vinegar. When soup is right consistency remove from heat until ready to eat.

CROUTONS: Preheat broiler. Cut 1/2" thick slices from baguette and place on baking sheet. Brush bread with olive oil and salt. Place under the broiler and toast first side until golden brown, turn and brown the second side. Set aside and leave broiler on.

CHEESE: Place flame-proof tureens on baking sheet. Add hot soup, filling close to the top. Top with croutons and lay cheese over croutons so they overlap tureen edges. Broil for a few minutes, until cheese bubbles; browns and forms a thick crust.  Serve hot. 

  Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 1 hr | Servings: 6 to 8 | Difficulty: Easy 

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3/4 lb Italian sausage, casing removed

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 medium onion, finely diced

1/4 cup white wine

2 -15 oz cans Cannellini beans (in their liquid)

4 cups (32 oz) chicken broth, low sodium Salt and pepper, to taste

2 cups (uncooked) Ditalini pasta

Grated Parmesan, for sprinkling

OPTIONAL:

1 head escarole

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

crushed red pepper, to taste

Pour the oil into a Dutch oven, or soup pot, set over medium heat. Add the sausage meat and cook just until the meat is no longer pink - about 3 to 5 minutes. (While meat is cooking break up any clumps with wooden spoons.) Make a well in the center of the pot and add the garlic. Sauté about a minute, then incorporate into the meat. 

Add the onions, cook until translucent and just starting to brown - about 7 minutes. Stir in the wine and simmer until wine evaporates - about 3 minutes. Add the butter. When butter is melted, stir in beans and their liquid. Add broth, pepper, and a pinch of salt (sausage is salty, so salt sparingly). Bring to the boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Using a potato masher, mash into the soup a half dozen times, trying to mush some of the beans. This gives soup a creamier texture. Leave the majority of beans in tact. 

Pour in the pasta, stir, and cook for an additional 7 to 10 minutes (see recommended time on pasta box). When al dente, ladle into bowls, sprinkle with grated cheese and serve.

NOTE: You might need to add additional chicken broth if you prefer a thinner soup.

OPTIONAL: To prepare escarole, rinse leaves several times in cold water until all dirt has been rinsed off. Drain escarole of as much residual water as possible prior to sautéing. Cut escarole into bite-sized pieces. Combine olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper in a large sauté or frying pan and heat together over medium heat until the garlic begins to lightly brown (approximately 4 minutes). Be very careful not to burn garlic as it will turn bitter.

Once garlic has slightly browned, increase the heat and add escarole leaves and sauté, turning frequently with a pair of tongs. This step can be done in batches if necessary. Cover the pan for a few minutes so that escarole can braise in its own liquid and lose some of its bitterness. Uncover and let liquid evaporate. Escarole is finished once it is tender (approximately 5 to 6 minutes). Season with salt and pepper and using tongs transfer the sauted escarole to the soup, discarding any leftover liquid. 

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins | Servings: Big pot | Difficulty: Medium

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

16 oz center-cut bacon

1 large onion, small dice

3 celery stalks, small dice

3 carrots, peeled, small dice

5 garlic cloves, minced

1 ham hock (smoked hock is fine)

2 lbs of green split peas

12 cups (96 oz) chicken broth

2 tablespoon mascarpone (optional)

3 teaspoons kosher salt, more/less to taste Ground pepper, to taste

Before starting the cooking process; soak peas in a bowl of cold water for about an hour. 

Preheat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and lay bacon slices flat without touching one another (you may need two baking sheets). Bake for 15 minutes, or until bacon is just crisping. Remove from oven and let cool, making sure to save the rendered fat (oil) from the baking sheet, which you will need to sauté the vegetables. 

Once the bacon is cooked, heat a soup pot, or large Dutch oven, on medium-low heat and add the rendered oil from the bacon. Should be a few tablespoons worth. When pot is hot, add onions - sauté about 7 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and cook about 5 minutes more. You want the vegetables to soften and release their liquid. Push ingredients to make a well in the center of pot and add garlic; cook another minute (don't burn garlic). Drop in the hock and stir to incorporate.

Strain peas from water and add to pot. Pour in chicken broth and simmer about an hour and a half, stirring frequently to prevent burning on the bottom of the pot. Skim off any foam while cooking. When peas are very tender (mushy), remove hock and set aside. Using stick blender, process soup until semi-smooth. Near the end of cooking process, stir in mascarpone. Taste for salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with croutons. using your hand crush the bacon and dump on th the finished soup. Let cook until soup has thickened. Add the marscapone. 

NOTE: If you want, don't discard the ham hock, but cut away the outer skin and remove the meat from the bones. Dice the meat and serve with the soup.

Prep Time: 20 mins | Cook Time: 1 hr | Servings: 4 to 6 | Difficulty: Easy

 4 medium zucchini, chopped

32 oz. chicken broth, low sodium

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 large shallot, finely minced

(1 pkg mushrooms, sliced)

1 chicken bullion cube

Cilantro, chopped

1 Serrano chile, seeds removed, minced, (more or less to taste) 

Dollop Mexican cream or Creme fraiche. (Optional) 

 Pour chicken broth Into a medium soup pot. Add zucchini pieces and bring to a simmer. Cook until zucchini is tender - about 7 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile (for convenience) set blender next to soup pot, along with a large, empty bowl. 

As zucchini simmers, set a sauté pan over medium heat. Add butter, shallot, chile, and sauté a few minutes, but don't allow shallot to brown in color. Add mushrooms and cook until mushrooms release their liquid. When done, turn off the heat and set pan aside. 

Once zucchini is tender, ladle (in batches) into blender (fill to half only) and pulse a few times. You can puree if you like a smoother texture to your soup. (Be careful to let hot liquid cool before blending!) Pour the contents of blender into the empty bowl, and continue to work batches. 

Pour blended zucchini mixture back into pot and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes. Break up the bullion cube with your fingers and dissolve into soup. Grab a big handful of cilantro leaves, chop them and add to pot. Cook on low heat about 20 minutes. At the end of the cooking process, spoon in a dollop of cream and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot.

FOR A DOUBLE BATCH — DOUBLE INGREDIENTS