Italian bread soup with escarole
5
Points®
Total time: 28 min • Prep: 10 min • Cook: 18 min • Serves: 4 • Difficulty: Easy
This hearty bean soup gets richness and depth from the pancetta, a flavorful Italian bacon in a sausage-like shape. It makes this soup taste like it has simmered for hours instead of just a matter of minutes. The Parmesan cheese-topped bread slices are the finishing touch, soaking up the soup and letting you easily break it into spoon-size pieces. To save even more time, you can use a 10-ounce package of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry, in place of the fresh escarole, and broil the soup right in the Dutch oven. Just remember to cover non-flameproof handles with heavy-duty foil to prevent them from scorching.
Ingredients
Pancetta
1 oz, chopped
Onion
1 medium, chopped
Garlic
3 clove(s), minced
Reduced sodium chicken broth
4 cup(s), or vegetable broth
Plum tomato
14 oz, canned italian plum tomatoes
Escarole
5 cup(s), 1 bunch, chopped
Fresh oregano
1½ Tbsp, or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Canned cannellini beans
30 oz, (white kidney) rinsed and drained
Italian bread
4 oz, cut into 8 slices
Shredded parmesan cheese
⅓ cup(s)
Instructions
1
Spray a nonstick Dutch oven with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until browned, 2–3 minutes; transfer to a plate.
2
Add the onion and garlic to the same Dutch oven. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 7–10 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, escarole, oregano, and pepper; bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the escarole is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans and cook until the soup is hot, 2–3 minutes.
3
Preheat the broiler. Transfer the soup to a large ovenproof casserole dish. Arrange the bread slices on top of the soup; sprinkle with the cheese. Broil until the cheese and bread are lightly browned, 1–2 minutes. Sprinkle with the pancetta just before serving.
People Also Like
Join the #1 doctor-recommended weight-loss program*
*Based on a 2023 survey by Cerner Enviza of 500 doctors who recommend weight-loss programs to patients.