Tag Archives: escarole

Meatball and Escarole Soup

I just love meatball soup and when you use the frozen prepared meatballs, it takes all the hard work out of it. Just heat up some broth, add meatballs and some veggies and you have a great complete meal. Here is one of my favorite ways to serve.

Meatball and Escarole Soup
Meatball and Escarole Soup

4 servings
315 calories per serving

24 frozen cocktail meatballs
8 c chicken broth
1 6.5 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained
4 c cleaned and torn escarole leaves
1 c shredded or julienned carrot
Salt and pepper to taste
1 t garlic powder
1 T dry minced onion
½ t oregano flakes
½ t parsley flakes

Mix all together and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 10 minutes.

Very Veggie Minestrone

You can taste the pepperoni in each and every bite and it makes this soup just a bit different from the usual minestrone. It’s a welcome change. All the veggies add up to a nice low cal soup that leaves plenty of calorie room open for adding a nice spoon of parmesan cheese 🙂

Very Veggie Minestrone
Very Veggie Minestrone

6 servings
206 calories per serving

1 T oil
1/2 c green bell peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
5 c beef broth
3 c water
1 1/2 t oregano flakes
1 t thyme flakes
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
2/3 c small pasta
1 lb. frozen mixed soup vegetables (including corn, peas, carrots, celery, onion), thawed and chopped
1 c frozen baby lima beans, thawed
15 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 c diced turkey pepperoni
3 c lightly packed escarole, rinsed and roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c chopped basil
Grated Parmesan cheese for garnish (not in calorie count above)

Heat oil in a soup pot. Saute peppers 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute another 30 seconds. Add broth, water and spices and bring to a boil then add pasta and cook according to package instructions minus 3 minutes. Mix veggies and beans and add to soup and bring back to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, pepperoni, basil and escarole and simmer 3 minutes to wilt escarole. Garnish with cheese.

Sauteed Escarole with White Beans

I have a lot of recipes pairing white beans and escarole – but this one is just a bit more – this one adds extra veggies and the dish is totally different than plain old sautéed escarole. The creamy texture of the beans just goes great with the crisp zucchini and corn.

Sauteed Escarole with White Beans
Sauteed Escarole with White Beans

4 servings
210 calories per serving

2 heads escarole, rinsed well and chopped
2 oz. pancetta or bacon, chopped
1 zucchini, quartered and cut into julienne strips
1 garlic clove, minced
1 c frozen corn kernels , thawed
15 oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained
1 T red wine vinegar
1 t olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
½ t garlic powder
Pam

Heat a large skillet and spray with Pam. Add escarole and cook 6 minutes to wilt. Remove and set aside. Cook bacon 2 minutes then add zucchini and cook 4 minutes. Add garlic and corn and cook 1 minutes. Add back the escarole then mix in parsley, beans, salt, pepper, garlic powder, vinegar and oil. Toss well and serve.

Sauteed Escarole

This is one of my favorite dishes at Italian restaurants. It may seem like a lot of escarole to start, but it cooks down a TON. My version is the super garlic version – feel free to tone it down by using half the recommended garlic !

Sauteed Escarole
Sauteed Escarole

4 servings
87 calories per serving

2 T olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 c cleaned and chopped escarole
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 t garlic powder
OPTIONAL – 1/2 t crushed red pepper flakes

Heat the oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add minced garlic and saute for 1 minute, stirring constantly so that the garlic does not burn and get bitter. Add escarole a few handfuls at a time and mix every 30 seconds or so making sure all escarole comes in contact with the bottom of the pan so it heats and wilts. Once wilted a bit, add salt, pepper, garlic powder and red pepper flakes. Continue cooking 5 minutes or until to desired doneness. You can take it off while there is still some crunch to the larger pieces, or I like to cook it all down quite a bit and serve it very wilted and cooked.

Cavatelli with Escarole

This is one of my absolute favorites and I have made it many times. It’s a great meal to serve for guests as they do not feel like they are on a diet (just give them bigger portions) and you don’t have to break your 400 calorie habit when entertaining !

Cavatelli with Escarole
Cavatelli with Escarole

4 servings
359 calories per serving

8 oz frozen cavatelli
1 1/2 t oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb. escarole
1 can small white beans, drained and rinsed
1 c low fat chicken broth
1/4 t salt
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese

Cook the cavatelli according to package instructions. Drain and keep warm. In a Dutch oven or large pot heat oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and red pepper and cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute. Clean the escarole, trimming away any bad spots and getting rid of the tough outer leaves and then chop it or tear it into pieces about the same size you would make them for a salad. Add a handful of escarole at a time to the pot stirring until it is all mixed well. Cook 5 minutes. Add the beans and cook 5 or more minutes, or until the escarole is wilted. Add the broth and salt and garlic powder and cook 5 minutes. Add the cavatelli and cook a minute or so, just to heat through pasta. Remove from pan, sprinkle with cheese, and serve immediately.

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