Escarole with Sausage and Cannellini Beans
This escarole with beans and sausage is an easy, hearty, and nourishing one-pot meal that’s mostly hands-off, and can be on your table in under 45 minutes! Beans and greens is a Southern Italian classic that I’ve amped up with sweet Italian sausage, plenty of garlic, and good-quality stock for a versatile recipe you’ll want to make again and again. Serve it thick like a stew, thinned out like a soup, spooned over toast, or tossed with pasta for a super satisfying meal that’s perfect for chilly winter nights.
Servings: 4
Calories: 493kcal
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb Italian sausage sweet or hot, casings removed
- 5-6 cloves garlic very thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red chili flakes to taste (omit if using hot sausage)
- 4 cups chicken stock low sodium, homemade if possible
- 2 15-oz cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 1 large head escarole roughly chopped
- salt to taste
- ½ lemon juiced (about 2-3 tablespoons or to taste)
- freshly grated Pecorino Romano for serving
- crusty Italian bread for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil, then add the sausage. Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook until browned, about 6-8 minutes.1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 lb Italian sausage
- Add the garlic, fennel seed, oregano, and red chili flakes along with a small pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until the garlic softens but does not take on any color, about 2 minutes.5-6 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon fennel seed, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
- Pour in the chicken stock and bring up to a simmer, then add the beans and stir to coat.4 cups chicken stock, 2 15-oz cans cannellini beans
- Add the escarole, then cover and let it cook down. If your pot can’t fit it all at once, add a few handfuls at a time and let it wilt down before adding the rest. Give it a good stir to combine.1 large head escarole
- Cover the pot and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the lemon juice, taste, and adjust seasoning with additional salt or chili flakes if needed.salt, ½ lemon
- Spoon into bowls and serve hot with plenty of crusty bread and grated Pecorino Romano on the side.freshly grated Pecorino Romano, crusty Italian bread
Notes
- If your sausage is lacking in flavor, you can double or even triple the other spices to make up for it. Garlic, red chili flakes, fennel seed and oregano are all classic, but you can certainly riff on the spices and add more or less to taste. You can also add a splash of vinegar and a pinch of sugar if needed, since those are commonly added to Italian sausage.
- Add a parmesan cheese rind to the broth as it simmers to add even more body and depth.
- Make sure your escarole is washed very well since grit likes to hide in the leaves.
- Add more stock or water if you want a brothier stew or soup.
- If you want it thicker, lightly mash some of the beans against the side of the pot.
- Don’t skip the squeeze of lemon at the end. That hit of acid really helps to wake the whole thing up. You can also use a shot of vinegar in a pinch.
- Leftovers taste even better the next day! The stew will thicken naturally as it cooks from the starch in the beans. Thin it out with more stock or water as needed.
Nutrition
Calories: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 931mg | Potassium: 893mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2520IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 3mg
