Potato and Escarole Soup
           contributed by Nava Atlas

Potato and Escarole Soup

Ingredients

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, minced
6 medium or 4 large potatoes, preferably russet or golden
peeled and diced
2 medium carrots, thinly sliced
1 (32 oz.) carton low-sodium vegetable broth
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 (16 oz.) can of cannellini (large white beans) or chickpeas,
drained and rinsed
1 medium head (6 to 8 oz.) of escarole, coarsely chopped and rinsed
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

How we make it

Heat the oil in a large soup pot. Add in the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent. Add the garlic and continue to sauté until both are golden, stirring frequently.

Add the potatoes, carrots, broth, basil, thyme and 2 cups water. Bring to a gentle boil, then cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

Stir in the beans, escarole, and half the parsley. Simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the escarole is tender.

With the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher, mash some of the potatoes in the soup to give it a nice base. Stir in more water as needed (up to 2 cups). The soup should be thick, but not overly so. Return to a simmer. Stir in the remaining parsley, and season with salt and pepper.

If time allows, let the soup stand off the heat for an hour or more before serving, then heat through as needed.


* Note: As mentioned, this soup is great with escarole or, as we tried in our adaptation, chopped kale. Simply follow the directions as written substituting the kale for the escarole.

Kale is considered to be a highly nutritious vegetable with powerful antioxidant properties; kale is considered to be anti-inflammatory.[1] Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. And did we mention it's delicious?