Escarole and Beans

For those of you who regularly peruse my blog, you know that many of my recipes are from my grandma - traditional, Italian cooking that not only tastes delicious, but is incredibly nourishing.

Ingredients:

Escarole, 1 bunch

White beans (Navy, Canneloni, Great Northern, etc.), 2 cups, soaked, rinsed, and cooked

Garlic, 4-5 regular sized cloves, chopped

Olive oil, 1/4 to 1/2 cup, I use this

4 ounces filtered water

Sea salt, I use this

How To:

1. Prep the Escarole: Fill your sink (or one side of your sink) with cold water (enough to cover your escarole) and about a tbsp of salt. Rip your escarole into bite sized chunks and add to your sink full of water using your hands to push it under the water and move it around a bit. This is just to clean it up and you'll let it sit until you're ready to use it. If I recall correctly, escarole attracts a lot of bugs in the garden (when you grow it yourself), so you really need to wash it well.

2. Brown Garlic: In a medium pot over medium heat, add your olive oil and garlic and saute until the garlic browns. Remove from heat. Be careful, because the garlic will go from brown to burnt quickly, and you don't want burnt.

3. Cook Escarole: After the garlic and oil mixture cools, add the rinsed escarole to the pot and turn the heat back on to medium. Now, the escarole will be quite watery and that's perfect. So, just rinse it off and add it to your pot, excess water and all. Stir to distribute the olive oil on the escarole and cook for a few minutes until it wilts.

Then, add about 4 ounces of additional filtered water so you have a soupy broth. Add your beans too. If you want more broth, add a little more water. Bring to a boil, then cook another ten minutes on low. Season with salt, start with about 1 tsp and go from there based on personal preference.

Comments:

I remember eating this with my sister at my grandma's house when I was little. However, I was not able to find escarole at my supermarket until just recently, so I have spent most of my life eating this only during those summer visits.

Escarole is incredibly nutritious and you can read about the benefits here. This keeps surprisingly well in the refrigerator for a few days and will re-heat nicely. It makes about six servings and only takes about 15 to 20 minutes, tops, to make.

 

Remember to rinse and soak your beans for maximum nutritional benefit. Place your dried beans in a bowl filled with water and a little whey or ACV and let sit in a warm place for 24-48 hours, switching out your water every so often so that it does not begin to ferment. Then cook your soaked beans in water (or stock) and freeze for future use.

 

This post was linked to Natural Living Monday, Just Another Meatless Monday, The Clever Chicks Blog Hop, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Fat Tuesday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, Waste Not Want Not Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesday, Fight Back Friday, Foodie Friday at Rattlebridge Farm, Foodie Friday with Simple Living and Eating, and Weekend Kitchen Creations.

 

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