Makes 6 to 8 servings
2 tablespoons extra
virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic,
minced
2 small heads
escarole, washed, trimmed, sliced into strips
8 cups rich chicken
stock or vegetable stock
4 cups chopped fresh
ripe tomatoes*
3 tablespoons
prepared pesto, more or less to taste
½ cup small pasta or
spaghetti noodles broken into pieces
½ cup grated
Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly
ground black pepper, to taste
Heat the olive oil
in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft and
fragrant, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté an additional minute,
stirring constantly. Add the escarole and sauté until it is soft and limp. Add
the chicken stock and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook
for 30 minutes. Stir in the pesto.
Add the pasta and
cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in the cheese. Taste and season with
salt and pepper. Serve hot with crusty bread.
While lettuces tend
to be thought of only as a salad ingredient, heartier greens like escarole find
their way into soups. Braising escarole renders it sweet and tender. The
finished soup is just another fine example of how simplicity in ingredients
yields complex flavors.
*Canned or frozen tomatoes
with their juices may be substituted for fresh.
Making your own
pesto is easy and produces a great ingredient for adding flavour to soups.
simple and
seasonal, leafy greens
Here’s a primer on
varieties of greens you’ll find popping up in gardens or at markets as early as
spring and some into the fall. Remember that within each variety you’ll find
plenty of variations. Some work alone in a salad, but feel free to toss them together
to create the balance of flavors and textures that suits your palate.
arugula: An early-season, long-leafed green, arugula has a
peppery punch that adds spice to a salad mix; it’s also a special treat on its
own with a simple dressing and some fresh tomatoes.
butterhead
lettuce: Cool-weather-loving head
lettuces such as Bibb and Buttercrunch have a soft texture and a nice nutty
flavor; butterhead lettuce teams well with strawberries.
dandelion
greens: The buttery leaves of the
backyard flower are mildly bitter and tangy and best harvested young in early
summer.
endive or
frisée: Same lettuce, different names.
Curly and frilly, it adds a peppery, nutty bite to salads.
escarole:
A close cousin to endive, escarole is milder and
more lettuce-like, with broad green leaves.
green or
red loose leaf: Loosely gathered
leaves in colors ranging from purple to red and dark to light greens have a
soft texture and mild taste. They are best mixed in with sturdy salad greens.
mâche: Also called “lambs’ lettuce,” mâche is fragile and
velvety with a subtle flavor.
mesclun: A mix of leaf and loose-headed lettuces, mesclun
may include mustards, cresses, parsley, arugula, wild greens, and more. The
types of lettuces are not as important as the taste and texture sensations
balanced throughout the salad: sweet, bitter, tangy, crunchy, and silky.
mizuna: The tender, jagged leaves of mizuna have a peppery
flavor and offer a nice contrast to leaf lettuces.
oak leaf:
In shades of green or burgundy, the leaves are
notched like a common oak leaf. The flavor is sweet and the texture is tender
and delicate.
radicchio:
Looking like a tiny head of red cabbage but slightly
bitter, radicchio adds a great crunch to salads.
romaine: A great all-around sweet-tasting salad green,
romaine has plenty of crunch and crevices to hold onto salad dressing.
watercress:
A special treat for salad green lovers, watercress
has tiny, tender leaves and edible stems with a peppery edge.
