White Bean & Escarole Soup with Sausage and Toasted Bread
Ingredients
- 1 small seeded or rustic loaf, day old and stale is best
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound sweet Italian turkey/chicken/pork sausage (removed from casings)
- 5 celery stalks, 1/2-inch dice
- 4 carrots, scrubbed clean and 1/2-inch dice
- 1 parmesan rind
- 2 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1 head escarole, washed and torn into 3-inch pieces
- 1 wedge parmesan
Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.
Cut the bread into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Place on a medium baking sheet and liberally drizzle with EVOO. Sprinkle with salt and pepper then toss to coat. Bake for 25-30 minutes, tossing halfway through, until golden brown and crunchy. You need about 4 cups.
Meanwhile bring a 6-quart dutch oven or large stock pot up to heat over medium. Drizzle in 1-2 tbsp. EVOO and add in the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces. Cook until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes. Next add in the celery and carrots and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium low and add in the cannellini beans, parmesan rind and stock. Liberally season with salt and pepper, stir and cover. Cook on a low simmer for 35-40 minutes.
Add in the escarole and cook for another 10 minutes, covered.
5 minutes before serving remove the parmesan rind and stir in the toasted bread*. Ladle into shallow bowls and sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Recipe Courtesy of Megan Mitchell
*as the bread sits in the broth it'll expand, break down and thicken the soup. If you want to keep the soup more brothy and the bread crunchy, add to the soup as needed right before serving/reheating.