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Chicken and escarole soup

6
Points®
Total Time
1 hr 15 min
Prep
15 min
Cook
1 hr
Serves
4
Difficulty
Easy
Pancetta (pan-CHEH-tuh), a cured, unsmoked bacon found in large supermarkets and in specialty-food stores, adds authentic Italian taste here but you can use regular bacon if you prefer. It’s drippings are used to develop the flavor of the broth while its crispy bits are sprinkled over the soup when served. Escarole can be sandy and may need several rinses in cold water to clean it thoroughly. Substitute a (10-ounce) package frozen leaf spinach, thawed and squeezed dry, in place of the fresh escarole if you want to save a little time. If you prefer, omit the cannellini beans and round out the meal with crusty Italian bread instead.

Ingredients

Uncooked bacon

1 oz, thick-cut bacon, chopped, or 1 ounce thinly sliced pancetta

Onion

1 large, chopped

Garlic

4 clove(s), minced

Reduced sodium chicken broth

3 cup(s)

Canned stewed tomatoes

14½ oz, Italian seasoned

Uncooked skinless boneless chicken thigh

5 thigh(s)

Escarole

1 cup(s), cleaned and chopped (1 bunch)

Canned cannellini beans

15 oz, (white kidney beans), rinsed and drained

Basil

2 Tbsp, fresh, chopped or 2 teaspoons dried

Table salt

½ tsp

Red pepper flakes

¼ tsp, or crushed red pepper

Grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp

Instructions

  1. Spray a nonstick Dutch oven with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until crisp, 4–5 minutes; transfer to a plate.
  2. Pour off all but a coating of the drippings (about 1⁄2 teaspoon) from the Dutch oven. Add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 7–10 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, and chicken; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the chicken from the bone and return to the soup.
  3. Add the escarole, beans, basil, salt, and crushed red pepper; return to a boil, stirring occasionally to mix in the escarole. Reduce the heat and simmer until the escarole is wilted and softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the crisped pancetta and the cheese just before serving. Yields 1 3/4 cups per serving.

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