Escarole and Beans are a classic Italian combo, and this easy to prepare soup is just bursting with flavor thanks to the addition of Italian sausage.
I was nursing a sore shoulder while I made this, so instead of my usual hand dice I used an electric chopper. It turned out to be quite the time saver, and the coarse mince gave the soup a lot of body. To speed things up even more, I took a shortcut and used canned beans.
This was one delicious soup! I made a big pot and shared with a neighbor, and it got rave reviews! Rumor has it that this soup will cure the common cold, but far be it from me to make medical claims! 😉
6-8 servings
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Ingredients:
- 2 links gluten free Italian Sausage (pork or chicken)
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1/2 sweet onion
- 2 cups gluten free beef broth
- 6 cups gluten free chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp. sage
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 2 cans navy beans
- 1 small head of escarole
- salt, to taste
- fresh parsley for garnish
- grated cheese for serving
- Schar Table Crackers (for serving, optional)
Preparation:
I used a 5-quart Dutch oven, large enough for a generous pot of soup. Begin by prepping the veggies. Mince the garlic, then give the carrots, celery and onion a few pulses in an electric chopper.
Cut the sausage links into 4 pieces and brown them in the pot.
Remove the sausage, transfer to the electric chopper and pulse a few times to break it up. Leave any oil from the sausage in the pan and add 1 tbsp. olive oil. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic, stir and cook for 30 seconds. Don’t walk away, the garlic can burn very quickly!
Next add all of the veggies to the pan. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes longer then add back the sausage.
Stir in the beef broth, chicken broth, sage and thyme. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. Drain and rinse 2 cans of navy beans. Rinse the escarole leaves thoroughly and tear them into 2-3″ pieces.
Stir the beans and escarole into the soup. Don’t worry, it will cook down!
Cover and simmer on low for another 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt if needed. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with gluten free crackers and/or grated cheese.
Notes ♪♫ Watch ingredient labels on beans and broth. I used Goya navy beans, and Swanson beef and chicken broth. All were labeled gluten free. If you are limiting sodium, choose unsalted beans and broth, the sausage will have enough salt to flavor the soup.
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Note ♪
The next morning, drain and rinse again. Add back to the saucepot with COLD water, cover and turn the heat on low. Simmer gently for 2 hours.
Drain and rinse again and set the beans aside.
Heat olive oil in a stainless-steel skillet. Begin sautéing the veggies, beginning with the carrots as they take the longest to cook. Season with sea salt and fresh ground pepper and stir frequently for 3-4 minutes. Transfer the carrots to a 
When the veggies are done, wipe the skillet clean and add the diced ham with a bit more olive oil.
Note ♫
Add the ham to the stock pot, and deglaze the skillet with a little beef broth, scraping up the caramelized bits at the bottom. Pour the liquid into the stock pot.
Next, add equal parts of chicken and beef broth, enough to cover the ham and veggies. Return the cooked beans to the pot, along with the bouillon, sage and thyme.
Simmer until the veggies are soft, then add the corn kernels in to heat through (adding the corn at the end of cooking gives the soup a little textural contrast to the soft beans and veggies).
Soup is ready to enjoy with gluten free crackers or bread. Leftovers (if you have any!) can be refrigerated for up to a week. Don’t worry though, it won’t last that long!
Notes ♪♫