I am having a love affair with escarole. I finally found a local store that carries it and I have been trying it in everything I can think of. Many years ago I had a fantastic soup and I finally got around to making it myself.
The basis of this soup is the chicken stock and therefore make sure you use the very best stock. Either make it yourself or buy a brand that you know you love the taste of, otherwise the soup will be disappointing. I conducted a taste test of chicken stock and was shocked at how different they all tasted. I used to pick up any old brand, but no more. For this soup I used Wolfgang Puck brand, it is more expensive than all the others. Of course! But it makes all the difference in the finished product.
Ingredients:
1 lb. organic ground beef
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for topping
1/2 cup grated pecorino, plus more for topping
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 medium onions, 1 minced and 1 sliced
1 egg, lightly beaten
Sea Salt
Pepper, freshly cracked
1 large head escarole, cored and cut into 2" pieces
8 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
To make the meatballs: in a large mixing bowl combine the beef, bread crumbs, Parmesan, pecorino, Italian seasoning, 3 heads of minced garlic, 1 minced onion, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, egg, salt and pepper. Mix well. Form into 1" meatballs and chill.
To make soup: In large stock pot add 1/4 cup of the olive oil, 2 heads of minced garlic, 1 sliced onion, and saute until lightly browned about 10 minutes. Add escarole and allow to wilt. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and add meatballs. Season with salt and pepper. Cook about 20 minutes until cooked through. Be gentle so as not to break up the meatballs. Remove from heat. Add the cooked rice and serve. Top with additional grated cheeses.
Note: If you don't have Italian seasoning, use a combination of oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram.
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