Escarole Soup With Roasted Garlic Food

ESCAROLE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
• Add the onion and cook until soft.
• Add the garlic and cook another minute.
• Add the chicken stock, Parmesan cheese rind, and a pinch of salt.
• Add the escarole and allow to wilt about 2 minutes.
• Cover and simmer until the escarole is the softness you prefer.
• While the soup simmers, cook the pasta according to package instructions and set aside until needed.
• Add the lemon juice, and taste for seasoning then season the soup with salt to taste.
• Ladle onto the pasta in soup bowls and serve hot.

WHITE BEAN AND ESCAROLE SOUP WITH GARLIC

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large Dutch over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrot and garlic and sauté until onion is golden and tender, about 7 minutes. Discard garlic. Add escarole; stir 3 minutes. Add 4 cups broth, beans and tomatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until escarole is tender and flavors blend, about 20 minutes. Thin with more broth, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
• Lade soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.

ESCAROLE SOUP WITH ROASTED GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roast garlic cloves for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Cool. Press between fingers to release cloves and place in a food processor. Add pinch of oregano and 1/4 cup of vegetable broth, puree and set aside. Combine remaining vegetable broth, oregano, red bell pepper, carrots, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until pepper and carrots are almost tender, about 7 minutes. Add escarole and tomato, cover and simmer until escarole is wilted, about 5 minutes. Add garlic puree and tofu and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.

ESCAROLE SOUP WITH TORTELLINI

Steps:

• About 50 minutes before serving: Cut escarole into 2" pieces, discarding any tough ribs.
• Peel, seed, and dice tomatoes.
• Thinly slice carrots, chop onions.
• In 5 quart dutch oven over medium high heat, in hot oil, cook carrots and onion until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
• Add escarole and tomatoes and cook, stirring until vegetables are tender.
• Stir in chicken broth, beef-flavor bouillon, pepper and 5 cups water; over high heat, heat to boiling.
• Add tortellini and cook 5 minutes longer or until tortellini are tender.
• **NOTE: I also added 2 Tbsp soy sauce which helped to enhance the flavor of the broth.

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!

LENTIL AND ESCAROLE SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion and carrots. Cook, stirring often, until the onion is tender, about five minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant, 30 seconds to a minute. Stir in the tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have cooked down slightly and smell fragrant, five to 10 minutes. Add the lentils and simmer with the tomato mixture for a few minutes, then add the bouquet garni and the water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and add salt to taste (1 to 2 teaspoons). Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
• Add the escarole, and bring back to a simmer. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the escarole and the lentils are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the bouquet garni.
• Toast slices of country bread if desired and rub with a cut clove of garlic. Place a slice in each bowl, ladle in the soup and serve.