Nov 8, 2011

Escarole Soup

Escarole lends sweet depth to this comforting soup from Saveur executive editor Dana Bowen. This recipe first appeared in our December 2011 issue along with the special feature Italian America.

Credit: Todd Coleman

SERVES 8–10

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. ground beef
½ cup seasoned bread crumbs
½ cup grated parmesan, plus more
½ cup grated pecorino
½ cup olive oil
1 tbsp. dried Italian seasoning
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced, plus 1, minced
2 medium yellow onions, thinly sliced, plus 1, minced
1 small bunch parsley, minced
1 egg, lightly beaten
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 large heads escarole, cored and cut into 2″ pieces
8 cups chicken stock
Cooked white rice, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix beef, bread crumbs, parmesan, pecorino, ¼ cup oil, seasoning, minced garlic and onion, parsley, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Form into 30, 1 ½″ meatballs; chill.

2. Heat remaining oil in an 8-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sliced garlic and onions; cook until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add escarole; cook until wilted, about 6 minutes. Add stock; boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add meatballs; cook until meatballs are cooked through, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve over rice; top with more parmesan and black pepper.

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #143

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Ratings & Reviews (5)

by MERILYN on 2012-01-02

is there a substitute for pecorino as I dont know what that is or where to get it? ? ? ? ? ? ?

by COOKEY on 2012-01-02

Merilyn, romano is a type of pecorino cheese. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pecorino

by Einerson on 2012-01-31

Good but not extremely flavorful-my son's comment about the escarole was "it's like lettuce". I used a combo of low sodium beef and chicken stock and assumed because the pecorino I used was very salty I still wouldn't need to add any additional salt, but this was not the case. If I were to make it again I would add a pinch or two of red pepper flake to the onion/garlic mixture and perhaps a bit of caynne to the meatballs.

by Mia812 on 2012-02-08

I made the recipe and it was delicious. I used no-salt added vegetable stock, and adjusted the seasoning, and it was just right. The escarole and onions melted in your mouth. The slightly bitter escarole was a great complement to the salty pecorino. I used ground turkey breast instead of ground beef, added a little more egg, and fresh oregano instead of parsley. I also put a parmesan rind in the stock, a nice Italian trick to add more flavor.
Nice to see recipes like this, that remind me of growing up in an Italian family. Comforting and simple.

by Dazzlr on 2012-02-12

I've made this recipe twice, and both times it was absolutely delicious and easy to make! I first had a hard time finding escarole (not available at my proceed market for a few weeks in January--even in California...) but was easily able to locate it by February. My first time I used freshly ground beef, freshly grated parmesan and pecorino from a local cheese shop. We also tried it with and without rice (white and then brown)...both ways were great, it just depended on how filling you wanted the soup to be. My second go was using turkey for the meatballs; again with fresh parmesan and just what I had left of the pecorino, and this time the escarole was easy to come by. Both were so flavorful and delicious. I brought some to a friend whose husband was in hospice and this soup served to bring her comfort during that difficult time...she said, "I'd like a second serving of that soup...it's just delicious!" Maybe it's just my Italian heritage coming out in me, but to me, this soup can bring a smile to your face and offer comfort in any situation.

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