Beans and Greens Soup

This soup is part of every Italian grandmother’s repertoire. Escarole is the most common green used, but any greens will work. It’s very versatile.

Add egg white clouds and you have Stracciatella.

It’s sometimes served with rounds of fennel sausage, and sometimes with a poached egg in each bowl.

Also common is the addition of hard cheese, finely grated or in shards.

To make it, you can begin the process by soaking the beans overnight and then cooking them until tender, while you’re simmering a pot of chicken, or other stock, for hours.

But this is Quick and Easy Beans and Greens Soup, so we’re not going to do any of that! If you’ve got some boxed stock or broth on hand, a can of white beans, a little garlic, a little onion, and a bunch of greens, you can have a tasty, satisfying, and nutrient rich soup on the table in fifteen minutes. And sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.

This makes 3—4 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 quart stock—chicken, no-chicken, or vegetable

• a small glug of good olive oil

• 2 large cloves garlic (or more, to taste), minced or thinly sliced, your choice

• ½ yellow onion, minced

• 1 can cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed

• a bunch of greens—use escarole, spinach, chard, kale, mustard, dandelion, or a combination of several types.

• kosher salt and pepper to taste

Method:

• In a pot that holds at least 2 quarts, warm a small glug of oil.

• Add the onion and garlic and sauté, stirring, for several minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent but hasn’t picked up any color.

• Pour in the stock and add the beans and the greens. Simmer until the greens are tender. The length of time required for cooking will depend upon the greens that you’re using. Some, like spinach, cook very quickly. Others, like escarole and kale, take a bit longer. If you’re using more than one kind, put the toughest ones in first and add in the others a bit later.

• Taste for salt, add a few grinds of the pepper mill, and ladle into bowls.

Optional: Add some Italian grating cheese as a garnish.

Or check out my slightly-more-elaborate recipe for Stracciatella.