Escarole and beans. It’s the dish my mom always made me when I was sick. Best eaten with a big piece of crusty bread on a cold day! Sometimes the leafy greens are a bit intimidating for kids so I puree some of the soup and add orzo! Great way to sneak some greens into your kid’s diet.

Click here for the printable recipe:

Ingredients:

6 heads of escarole

5 cloves of chopped garlic

4 Tablespoons of olive oil

3 cans of cannellini beans (not drained)

3/4 cup of orzo

32 ounces of chicken or vegetable

Grated parmigiano or pecorino romano to finish

Ingredients For The Kid Friendly Version

All of the above + 1 cup of orzo cooked (according to the package instruction) and drained

ADULT VERSION

1. Fill a large pot 1/2 way with water. Bring water to a boil
2. Remove the white part of the escarole and discard.  Chop the leafy green part and rinse well.
3. Add washed escarole to the boiling water and boil for 5 minutes or until all the greens have wilted. Drain the escarole and set aside. Note: I like boiling my escarole because I find that it removes the bitterness.
4. In the same pot add the olive oil and chopped garlic.  Saute the garlic until it just starts to turn golden brown.
5. Add back the escarole plus the chicken stock and beans.
6. Let simmer for 10 minutes
7. Ladle soup into a bowl, sprinkle grated parm and serve with a big piece of crusty bread!

CHILD FRIENDLY VERSION (with Orzo)

1. Fill a large pot 1/2 way with water. Bring water to a boil
2. Remove the white part of the escarole and discard.  Chop the leafy green part and rinse well.
3. Add washed escarole to the boiling water and boil for 5 minutes or until all the greens have wilted. Drain the escarole and set aside. Note: I like boiling my escarole because I find that it removes the bitterness.
4. In the same pot add the olive oil and chopped garlic.  Saute the garlic until it just starts to turn golden brown.
5. Add back the escarole plus the chicken stock and only one can of beans. Let it simmer for 5 to 10 minutes
6. Using a emulsion blender blend the soup so that it still has some texture.
7. Add the remain 2 cans of beans and the cooked orzo
8. Ladle soup into a bowl, sprinkle grated parm and enjoy!