Warm up with a bowl of Italian escarole bean soup, made with large white butter beans, onion and garlic, red potatoes, and ditalini pasta. This easy recipe uses vegetarian ingredients and oozes flavor from every spoonful!
Escarole, a leafy green vegetable belonging to the chicory family that looks like a head of lettuce, is an amazing addition to soups! It’s usually found in Italian wedding soup or dishes like my White Beans and Escarole Recipe.
It holds up well and releases a lot of flavor when used in broths, making the final dish so comforting and tasty without needing too many seasonings. That’s why this escarole bean soup only uses a handful of ingredients but still tastes downright delicious!
Even though the ingredient list is short, this soup is still very filling and suitable as a main dish. Pro tip: serve it with some crunchy bread and have yourself an Italian feast!
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Escarole: You can find escarole at most grocery stores, next to other kinds of lettuce. It may go by other names, such as broad-leaved endive.
- Onion and garlic: The key to any Italian dish! I used a yellow onion, but you can sub red, white, sweet, or even shallots.
- Red potatoes: Substitute Yukon gold or Russet if you don’t have red potatoes, but I think red ones hold up particularly well in escarole bean soup.
- Butter beans: These are also known as gigante beans or large lima beans. If you can’t find them at the store, use cannellini beans instead.
- Ditalini pasta: This pasta is in the shape of short tubes and is commonly used in Italian soups. If you can’t find it, you can substitute another very short-cut pasta like rings (Anelli), tubetti, or even orzo. Barilla makes a ditalini pasta that’s also available online.
- Vegetable broth: For a little more flavor, use chicken broth (only if you don’t need the recipe to be vegetarian).
- Parmesan cheese: This is optional, but it’s great for serving. If you need the recipe to be strictly vegetarian, look for parmesan labeled as such like the Whole Foods 365 brand. If you really like the flavor of parmesan, you can even cook the soup with a parmesan rind in it!
- Lemon: I like to add freshly squeezed lemon juice to the soup before serving. The acid helps balance the flavors. Omit if you don’t have it on hand.
Instructions
The full recipe card for escarole bean soup is at the bottom of the posts. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to guide you.
Prep the veggies. Cube the potato, dice the onion, and clean and cut the escarole. To clean escarole, slice off the root, separate the leaves, and add them to a bowl of water. Swish them around to remove any dirt. Drain, rinse, and pat dry. Then, chop up the escarole into 2-inch pieces.
Cook the onion and garlic in olive oil in a soup pot.
Add the potatoes, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, followed by the broth. Bring to a boil, then add the pasta.
Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes until the pasta is al dente. Then, add the escarole and beans and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes more. Stir in lemon juice before serving
Storage and Reheating
Escarole bean soup will keep in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat in a saucepan on the stove or in the microwave until warmed through. However, this recipe is best enjoyed right away because the pasta will get mushy over time.
If you want to freeze the soup, I recommend making it without the pasta to prevent the pasta from getting mushy during reheating and ruining the texture. Instead, transfer the soup without the pasta to freezer-safe containers. Leave an inch of headspace to allow for expansion. Label and store for up to 6 months.
When you want to eat the soup, let it thaw overnight in the fridge or reheat straight from frozen. While the soup reheats in a pot or saucepan, cook the pasta according to package instructions. Then, add the pasta to the soup just before serving.
Serving
I love enjoying a bowl with crunchy bread, especially an Italian seeded variety! It’s also delicious with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve the soup on its own or with a sandwich or lean protein.
Related Recipes
Love this escarole bean soup? Check out these other delicious recipes:
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📖 Recipe
Escarole Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion - diced, about 2 cups
- 5 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 pound red potatoes - cubed, about 2 small and 2.5 cups
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 8 cups vegetable broth - can sub chicken broth for more flavor
- ¾ cup ditalini pasta - dry
- 1 15-ounce can large butter beans - drained and rinsed; can sub cannellini beans
- 1 head escarole - chopped into 2-inch pieces
- ½ to 1 lemon - juiced; about 2 to 4 tablespoons
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese - for serving; use one labeled vegetarian if needed
Instructions
- Warm olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until fragrant and softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add potatoes, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and vegetable broth to the pot. Increase heat to bring to a boil, then stir in the dry pasta. Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the pasta is al dente (but not too soft).
- Add the chopped escarole to the pot along with the butter beans. Let the soup simmer for another 5 to 10 more minutes, stirring often, until everything is tender. Squeeze lemon juice into the pot and stir just before serving.
- Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with parmesan cheese (if using), and enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- Cleaning and cutting escarole for soup: Separate the leaves, add them to a bowl of water, and swish them around to remove any stuck dirt. Drain, rinse, and pat dry. Then, chop the leaves into 2-inch pieces.
- More flavor: Add a parmesan rind to the pot at the same time as the vegetable broth.
- Storage and reheating: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, but keep in mind that the pasta will get mushy over time. Reheat in a saucepan or in the microwave until warmed through.
- Freezing: To freeze this soup, make it without the pasta (to prevent it from getting mushy) then let cool completely before transferring to freezer-safe containers. Leave some headspace, seal tightly, label, and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. When you want to enjoy the soup, let it thaw overnight in the fridge or reheat straight from frozen. While it reheats, cook the pasta separately and add it to the soup right before serving.
Sara D
I made this tonight for dinner for me and the hubby. I followed the recipe exact except instead of onions I chopped up 1 small celery stalk. My husband had 2 bowls and kept saying this is really good! This is a keeper!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Sara, that’s great to hear. I’m so glad you both enjoyed the soup. Thanks so much for your 5-star review!