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READY IN 40 mins

Escarole and Beans

Read Reviews (88)

"This is a creamy concoction of escarole and beans. It's rich, and it's divine! It's also best served with a warm crusty Italian bread." — KristaP

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Original recipe makes 4 bowls Change Servings

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 large heads escarole
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, minced
2 (16 ounce) cans cannellini beans, undrained
3 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped

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Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Toss in escarole, turning to coat with oil. Season with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes, or until tender.
In a separate skillet, heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Stir in garlic. Pour in beans with juices, and simmer until creamy, about 10 minutes. Stir in escarole and parsley; simmer 10 minutes more.

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PREP 10 mins
COOK 30 mins
READY IN 40 mins

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I learned this recipe a long time ago from a fabulous elder italian grandma. It must have a taste of garlic and even better the garlic should be cooked well almost burnt. You should cut the pieces of escarole small or it becomes a long stringy glob. Also, you can make it into a soup by adding chicken stock and easier for those who don't like the thick gooey consistency. This meal satisfies your hunger without a doubt. Please use at least 4 cloves of garlic and sprinkle some granulated garlic as well. You can add very small meatballs with the quart or so of chicken stock and it is like italian wedding soup

—poconosrealtor

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Most Helpful Critical Review

Feb 10, 2009

Well, i'm obviously in the minority here ... I was NOT impressed with this meal .. probably because I'm not the biggest bean lover. My husband said "well, not EVERYTHING you make can be good." Hmmph. There were no instructions as to how to cut the escarole and so I left the leaves whole ... big mistake! If you're going to make this I would suggest cutting the leaves up in slightly bigger than bite-sized pieces. I also felt the bean to escarole ratio was wrong .. too many beans! I used two large heads of escarole ... maybe if I had chopped the leaves it would have seemed like there was more escarole because the escarole DID seem to lump up in the middle of the pan. DEFINITELY use more garlic. I used 3 cloves AND garlic powder and it could have used more. Also, at the suggestion of relatives who *love* this meal I served it over penne pasta. Apparantly this is the rage in Italian restaurants on the East coast. I don't know, living on the West coast myself (and since I LOVE Italian food I doubt that even if I did live on the East coast I would order beans over yummy cheesy saucy pasta at a restaurant!). All in all, I won't be making this recipe again.

—TABIJO

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107 Ratings

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May 10, 2006

This was creamy and delicious. Everyone in my family loved it. I only used one large head of escarole and one can of beans. I wouldn't have been able to fit any more escarole into my largest pan, it was towering! Of course, like spinach, it melted down to next to nothing, but it was enough for a side dish for dinner for the three of us with a smidge left over. I used extra garlic - probably chopped three or four cloves and I left out the parsley. Just because I forgot it. I also added a few gratings of romano cheese and stirred it in. I will definitely make this again.

—rainstripe

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Jan 09, 2006

I loved this recipe, but my husband and children did not. So I had to give it a four because of this. I thought it was really good. Only thing I'm changing next time is when I get the escarole I'm going to chop it into smaller pieces and throw out the bottoms and any other white part. The white part had a bitter after taste. I'm going to keep feeding it to the family, make them learn to like it. :o)

—SHELLSHOCK

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Aug 13, 2005

Thanks for this recipe!! I had been dying to find a recipe similar to a dish I vaguely remembered that my father used to make. Using this recipe, I altered it to fit the way my father used to make it, which was to simmer the cannellini beans in chicken broth and mix the entire mixture in a baking dish with day old bread. Thanks for the recipe, and for the nostalgia!!

—Navka

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Mar 06, 2005

This is something we grew up eating, its a wonderful comforting dish. My mother used to add a small can of tomato sauce to the recipe, its terrific and heart healthy!!

—lolo

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Mar 25, 2006

Absolutely amazing! I added about a cup of tomato sauce and sprinkled parmesan cheese on it at the table. With these tweaks it's just like the escarole and beans at our favorite Italian restaurant!

—EMON79

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Oct 23, 2006

the taste was great- hubby loved it- but i found it to be "mushy"- the beans were cooked much longer than necessary. i also would have preferred a chicken stock base instead of only the juice from the beans. i think the escarole, garlic, oil and salt and peppers should cook first for 10 minutes, then the beans and some chicken stock added second and cooked for another 3 minutes max. good taste but cooking directions need to be tweaked.

—MissyPorkChop

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Nutrition

Calories
322 kcal
16%

Carbohydrates
42.7 g
14%

Cholesterol
0 mg
0%

Fat
11.8 g
18%

Fiber
18.7 g
75%

Protein
13.1 g
26%

Sodium
640 mg
26%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Escarole and Beans

Serving Size: 1/4 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 322
Calories from Fat: 106

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 11.8g 18 %
Saturated Fat 1.6g 8 %
Cholesterol 0mg 0 %
Sodium 640mg 26 %
** Potassium 1065mg 30 %
Total Carbohydrates 42.7g 14 %
Dietary Fiber 18.7g 75 %
Protein 13.1g 26 %
Sugars 1g
Vitamin A 167 %
Vitamin C 80 %
Calcium 32 %
Iron 70 %
** Thiamin 26 %
** Niacin 15 %
** Vitamin B6 6 %
** Magnesium 20 %
** Folate 255 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.