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Categories:Viewed: 68 - Published at: 5 years ago
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cannellini, Great Northern, baby lima, or other small dried white beans
- 2 quarts water
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling over the finished soup
- Salt
- 6 cups coarsely shredded escarole leaves (preferably the tough outer leaves), washed and drained
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
- 4 to 6 whole dried peperoncini (hot red peppers)
- Pan-Fried Garlic Bread (page 53), optional
Method
- Cold-soak or quick-soak the beans according to the directions on page 84.
- Drain and transfer to a 5- or 6-quart pot.
- Pour in 2 quarts of water, toss in the bay leaves, and bring to a boil.
- Adjust the heat to simmering, pour in 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and cook until the beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- By the time the beans are tender, they should be covered by about 1 inch of cooking liquid.
- Season the beans to taste with salt.
- Stir in the escarole and cook, stirring occasionally, until the escarole is quite tender, about 15 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Heat the remaining 1/4 cup oil in a small skillet over medium heat.
- Add the garlic and cook, shaking the pan, until lightly browned.
- Add the whole peperoncini and cook, shaking the pan, just until the peppers change color, about 1 minute or less.
- Remove from the heat, and carefullyit will sputter quite a bitpour one ladleful of soup into the skillet.
- Swirl the pan to blend the two, then stir the panful of seasoned soup back into the large pot.
- Check the seasoning and let the soup rest off the heat, covered, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve, with the garlic bread if you like.
