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Escarole and Bean Soup with Meatballs

Escarole and Bean Soup with Meatballs Recipe. A full-flavored simple soup to warm your belly. Also known as White Bean and Escarole Soup. 

Escarole and Bean Soup

Nothing like a hot bowl of soup on a cold day.  When a cold front moves in there is one thing to do and that is to make soup.

We are expecting 6 to 10 inches of snow and everyone has raided the grocery store for milk, bread, and toilet paper.

I am over here like, I need bourbon and soup ingredients. 

Escarole and Bean Soup Ingredients

Have all your vegetables chopped and ready to go before you start the soup. Once you start the recipe the ingredients get thrown in the pot pretty quickly.

I used frozen meatballs for this recipe. If you are in the frozen section looking at the bags of meatballs they all have different weights by about 1 to 2 ounces. You don’t have to find the exact size. One to two ounces of meatballs won’t make a difference. 

You may also feel like that is too many meatballs. It is a lot! We really love our soups to be like a meal. The heartier the better.

If you want to hold back on how many meatballs you add to the soup that is OK! You can always add more later if you decide. 

Ingredients for Escarole and Bean Soup:

Here is a quick rundown of ingredients needed for Escarole Soup.

  • Meatballs (frozen)
  • Olive Oils
  • Italian Seasoning
  • Escarole
  • Garlic
  • Chicken Broth
  • Cannellini Beans
  • Ditalini Pasta
  • Lemon Juice
  • Parsley
  • Shallot
  • Salt & Pepper
Ingredients for Escarole and Bean Soup

Escarole and Bean Soup Ingredient Substitutions

Can’t find escarole at the store? No problem here is a list of easy recipe substitutions:

  • Escarole – Spinach or Kale
  • Shallot – Onion
  • Lemon juice – just omit
  • Ditalini pasta – Orzo
  • Italian meatballs – Turkey Meatballs

Be sure to add fresh bread to your shopping list. I head over to the bakery section to find a nice French loaf or Italian loaf.

Cut it into slices, butter, then toast in the oven. Toasty bread and soup! YUM!

Warm breadsticks are also fabulous with this soup. 

Escarole and Bean Soup with Meatballs 1

How to Handle Leftovers?

Honestly, this White Bean and Escarole Soup is not good leftover.

The reason why is that the pasta continues to absorb the broth and swells.

Here are some ideas to make it Leftover Worthy:

  • If you are making this for just two people and will have leftovers. Double up on the beans and omit the pasta.
  • Or cook the pasta separately as directed on the box and add it to your bowl, not the pot! 

FAQs

  • Can you make this Escarole and Bean Soup in a Crock-Pot

No. This is not a dump-and-go recipe. Nearly every ingredient is added at a different time. 

  • How many calories in Escarole and Bean soup per serving? 

Roughly 360 calories per 8 ounces (1 cup). However, this depends on how many meatballs you add to your serving. Check the calories and serving size on your package of meatballs. 

  • Can you freeze Escarole and Bean Soup?

As I mentioned above this does not save well. The pasta absorbs the liquid and swells. Above I mention a couple of recipe changes that would make this soup worth saving. 

Escarole and Bean Soup

More Soup Recipes on Daily Appetite

Escarole and Bean Soup with Meatballs Recipe

Escarole and Bean Soup

Escarole and Bean Soup with Meatballs

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Escarole and Bean Soup with Meatballs. Serve with toasted French Bread. 

Ingredients

  • 1.5 (26 ounces) pounds frozen Italian style meatballs, thawed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp Italian Seasoning
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 head escarole, chopped
  • 48 oz chicken broth
  • 1 can (15.5 oz) Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed.
  • 1/2 cup Ditalini pasta, uncooked
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • Salt and Pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil over medium heat in your soup pot. 
  2. Add Italian seasoning and onion and cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes. 
  3. Add garlic, stir for 1 minute.
  4. Add escarole, stir for 2 minutes or until wilted. 
  5. Add chicken broth, beans, and meatballs. 
  6. Increase heat to Medium High and bring to a boil.
  7. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. 
  8. Add pasta and simmer for another 10 minutes. 
  9. Add parsley, lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. 
  10. Serve with toasted French Bread. 

Notes

  • Have all ingredients prepped before starting the recipe. Once you start the ingredients get added pretty quickly. 
  • If you can't find escarole you can substitute it with chopped kale. 
  • For the meatballs, I used Johnsonville Italian Meatballs. 
  • Read the recipe article above for more tips and variations.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 8 oz.
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 133Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 940mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 3gSugar: 4gProtein: 6g

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Recipe inspired by Wegman’s Escarole & Bean Soup

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