© Frank Wieder
Bread soup with cannellini beans and escarole (Zuppa di fagioli e scarola)
This hearty soup is a traditional dish from the countryside surrounding Naples.
14 oz. (435 g) dried cannellini beans (about 2 c./500 ml) pinch of baking soda
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
4½ oz. (140 g) tomatoes, crushed
2 tbsp. (15 ml) olive oil
1 lb. 6 oz. (680 g) escarole, leaves separated and roughly chopped
8 thick slices of freshly toasted day-old Italian bread such as ciabatta or pane casereccio
generous handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water with a pinch of baking soda. Rinse well and transfer to a large saucepan. Cover with plenty of cold fresh water (about 5 cups/1.25 L).
Add the garlic, celery, tomatoes and oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 50 minutes or until the beans still have a slight bite to them, rather than being mushy. Skim off any froth that rises to the surface.
Just before the beans are cooked, blanch the escarole in a separate saucepan of salted boiling water for a few minutes until just wilted. Drain and add to the beans. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary.
To serve, lay 2 slices of the toasted bread in the bottom of each serving bowl, ladle the soup and sprinkle with parsley. Serves 4.
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