The weather has warmed and it’s time to look forward to a seasonal favorite… farmers’ markets!  With summer around the corner, so many nutritious treats are about to be in store for us, available straight from local farmers.

It was this time last year that I picked up our first CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) box of the season.  A CSA is a program where you can pay for a weekly delivery of fresh seasonal produce from a local farm.  Each delivery will have familiar vegetables – perhaps a plump tomato or vibrant yellow pepper – but may also have vegetables not routinely in your diet.  This month last year I found myself staring at a leafy green with slightly spiky edges, and learned upon inquiry it was escarole, a lightly bitter green that provides folate, Vitamin A, and a whopping 164% of your recommended daily value of Vitamin K with a two-cup serving.  Vitamin K regulates calcium levels, reducing risk of bone fractures and slowing the hardening of arteries.

“Escarole.  What on earth do I do with escarole?”  I thought to myself.  Learning the bitterness is tampered when it is cooked, I turned to this escarole soup recipe which included one of my favorite flavors –  lemon.  

This soup is vegetarian, gluten-free, heart healthy, and filled with fiber.  It is packed with vitamins C & K, beta carotene, and plant-based protein.  The lemon is a bright welcome to summer, while the beans add body and the parmesan adds a savory depth. This soup is also wonderful to cool and store in the freezer for several months. I froze portions in mason jars and was able to enjoy this soup months later in the winter, with it tasting as flavorful as the day I made it. Enjoy some now, and give yourself an easy future meal night by freezing some for later!  

Wishing you bountiful new vegetable discoveries this growing season.

Servings: 6 

Equipment needed: Blender, large pot

Ingredients:

2 15-oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

4 cups lower-sodium vegetable broth, divided

2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 yellow onion, finely chopped

2 large carrots, finely chopped

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 small bunch escarole, roughly chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese.

Directions

1. Combine 1 can of cannellini beans and 1 cup of broth in a blender; blend until completely smooth. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium. Add onions and carrots; cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 7 or 8 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 to 2 more minutes. Add remaining can of cannellini beans, chickpeas, and rosemary; stir to combine, and cook for 1 minute.

3. Stir in blended bean and broth mixture, remaining 3 cups broth, chopped escarole, salt, and black pepper. Bring mixture to a boil; reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 20 to 25 minutes, or until soup slightly thickens.

4. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Gradually sprinkle in Parmesan cheese, stirring continuously (don’t add it all at once or it may clump).

5. Ladle soup into bowls, and garnish with additional Parmesan cheese, cracked black pepper, and chopped rosemary, if desired.