Homemade Escarole Soup With Beans is a hearty vegetarian soup that's perfect for a plant based lifestyle and meatless Monday dinner. Our Escarole Soup is bursting with the flavors of fresh escarole and white beans with the unexpected pop of flavor from pesto.
Escarole and Bean Soup Recipe
Who would have thought that in mid-August, the dog days of summer, we would be having cool days and chilly nights?
So I usually wouldn't be simmering a pot of soup on the stove this time of year, but today I am! Crazy weather!
Actually it’s a perfect use for my beautiful deep green bunch of escarole from the farmers market! I just love this leafy green vegetable and cook with it whenever I get the chance. Are you familiar with escarole?
Escarole and beans are the ideal combination of flavors and texture and traditionally cooked together in an Italian escarole soup.
The ideal recipe for a vegan and plant based lifestyle, our homemade soup can also be transformed into a hearty chicken soup recipe.
Prepare the recipe as written using vegetable broth for a meatless soup. Or transform it into a hearty chicken soup and make with chicken broth and shredded rotisserie chicken.
When it comes to comfort food, a piping hot bowl of homemade soup is top on my list. Will you join me with a bowl of Escarole and Bean Soup and take the chill off of today? I can guarantee that you’ll be happy you did!
Don’t stop at escarole soup! We have so many homemade soup recipes that you’re going to love too!
Escarole FAQ's
What kind of vegetable is escarole?
I just love this leafy green vegetable and cook with it whenever I get the chance. Escarole is a member of the chicory family and is a dark leafy green. It is also known as the cousin of curly endive.
What does escarole taste like?
Escarole has a slightly bitter taste to it and it mellows somewhat as it cooks. Escarole is related to other bitter greens such as endive and radicchio.
Is escarole healthy for you?
Not only is this leafy green vegetable tasty, it’s also healthy for you and provides:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin K
- Calcium
- Iron
- Folate
- Fiber
- A low calorie option with one cup of escarole containing just 10 calories
What is a good substitute for escarole?
Good escarole substitutes include:
- dandelion greens
- endive
- radicchio
- spinach
- watercress
- young mustard greens
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How to make a vegetarian soup into a hearty chicken soup?
Yes, that’s right, you can turn this vegetarian soup into a hearty chicken soup! With these two simple changes you'll have yourself another homemade chicken soup to add to your lineup:
- replace vegetable broth with chicken broth
- stir in 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
Soups With Beans
Love soups with beans? Then you’ll want to check out these Swirls recipes too!
How to make escarole and bean soup
Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below
- Heat oil in saucepot over medium-high heat.
- Cook onion, garlic, basil, kosher salt and pepper until onion begins to soften.
- Stir in escarole and cook until just wilted, stirring occasionally.
- Add broth and beans and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer until greens are tender and soup is heated through.
- Top each serving with 1 Tablespoon pesto.
Swirls of Flavor Recipe Tips
- Substitute chickpeas for the cannellini beans
- Stir in fresh basil before serving
- Top with croutons
- Make with chicken broth
- Stir in shredded rotisserie chicken
- Add carrots when cooking the vegetables
- Use store bought pesto or make an easy homemade pesto
Ingredients for escarole and bean soup
- olive oil – gives a delicious flavor to the sauteed vegetables
- onion – adds a mild onion flavor
- garlic – savory flavor that’s a must
- dried basil – an aromatic Italian herb with a balance of sweet and savory notes
- kosher salt– makes the flavors pop
- pepper – a hint of heat
- escarole – leafy Italian green vegetable with slight bitter notes that mellow when cooked
- vegetable broth – makes this soup vegetarian
- cannellini beans – add texture
- pesto– lends an unexpected burst of flavor
Easy Homemade Soup Recipes
With a chill in the air, you'll be thankful for a pot of homemade soup simmering on your stove top. Give these homemade soup recipes from scratch a try, you'll be happy you did!
- Slow Cooker Broccoli Cheddar Soup is brimming with fresh veggies and two cheeses. Broccoli, carrots and onions simmer in your crock pot with vegetable broth topped with cheddar and cream cheese making a tender mixture that you whirl up into a smooth and creamy soup.
- Chicken Tortilla Soup may have a long list of ingredients with some fresh vegetables but most are canned and already in your pantry, making it a quick and easy dump-dump recipe on a busy weeknight. Just saute an onion and red bell pepper with some seasonings, add the remaining (mostly) canned ingredients, garnish with the fried tortilla strips, sour cream and cilantro!
- Grandma's Dandelion Soup is seasoned with fresh basil and filled with tortellini and springtime greens and has been a favorite in my family throughout the generations!
- Instant Pot Curried Cauliflower Soup is ready in a matter of minutes and packed with fresh veggies and great flavor. You won’t believe that there’s no cream or cheese in it!
- Avocado Lime Chicken Soup, a new comfort soup favorite with the fresh clean flavors of garlic, fresh ginger and lime and the buttery creaminess of chunks of avocados.
- Chicken Lentil Soup is an easy recipe for a weeknight dinner. Our chicken and lentil soup recipe is made with chicken thighs and filled with fresh vegetables and lentils. Your family will love this updated version of the classic comfort food, homemade chicken soup!
Escarole Soup With Beans
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Ingredients
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped, 1 cup
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 tsp. dried basil
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 8 cups chopped escarole, 8 cups chopped
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 (15.5 oz.) can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 6 Tbs. basil pesto or prepared pesto
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Instructions
- Heat oil in saucepot over medium-high heat.
- Cook onion, garlic, basil, kosher salt and pepper until onion begins to soften, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in escarole and cook until just wilted, stirring occasionally.
- Add broth and beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until greens are tender and soup is heated through, about 15 minutes.
- Top each serving with 1 Tablespoon pesto.
Notes
- Substitute chickpeas for the cannellini beans
- Stir in fresh basil before serving
- Top with croutons
- Make with chicken broth
- Stir in shredded rotisserie chicken
- Add carrots when cooking the vegetables
- Use store bought pesto or make an easy homemade pesto
Nutrition
First Published: August 18, 2014... Last Updated: July 27, 2021 for better readability and user experience
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