I’m still swimming in lettuce from last week’s CSA. I can’t seem to make a salad dressing that I like. So, I’m going to fess up here: I’ve been cooking some of the lettuces. (Go ahead and gasp if you must.) Fact is, some lettuces are okay to cook and Red Romaine is one of them!
I soaked some cannellini beans last night to make something like escarole and bean soup with the Red Romaine. Their nutritional profiles are remarkably similar. Funnily enough, today Patti announced that escarole is coming up this week in the CSA! So, consider this the practice run for the real deal.
Tuscan Greens and Beans Soup
- Soak 1 cup of cannellini beans overnight in 3 times as much water. With escarole and bean soup, the beans really do have to be cannellini; navy and other white beans just don’t have the right flavor.
- Rinse the beans until the water is clear.
- Cover in 2 times as much water and bring to a boil for at least 10 minutes. Skim off the foam while it’s boiling.
- Simmer for about 1-1/4 hours, until the beans are tender. Add salt at the one hour mark.
- Clean and chop 1 head of escarole. I used Red Romaine lettuce from Sport Hill Farm.
- In a soup pot, sauté 3 chopped garlic cloves in 3 Tbsp olive oil until carmelized. I used the better part of a stalk of spring garlic from Holbrook Farm.
- Add the escarole (or lettuce) to the pot with 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. (Cayenne pepper courtesy of Cherry Grove Farm in Newtown, dried here last year, crushed today.)
- Toss until the greens are wilting.
- Drain the cannellini, reserving the liquid.
- Add the cannellini beans, 1 cup of the bean water, and 1/2 cup of plain water to the pot and stir.
- Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Spoon into bowls.
- Top with shaved cheese, like Parmigiano-Reggiano. I used Beaver Brook‘s Pleasant Son.
- Serve with a crusty bread, like Wave Hill.
I have to say, that really worked out better than I expected. The lettuce was a reasonable stand-in for the escarole. No complaints here.
Well, one complaint (more of a request): could some CT farmer(s) please grow cannellini beans?
Oh Sophie, cooked lettuce? Next thing, you’ll be planting vegetables in the front garden.
LOL PWF!!! I actually did plant purple cabbage out front. Lots of folks plant decorative (inedible) cabbage in their front gardens and I don’t think it’s any more decorative than the edible kind. So there! I also have some potted herbs out front.
Looks great! I remember when I was buried in lettuce last year I made pureed lettuce soup with a side salad for dinner one night. I have no shame!
Ruth, I love it! I need to try lettuce soup next. I ended up braising the Grand Rapids lettuce as well, and that’s a lighter lettuce. But it worked and was so much better than salad.
Mine came out awesome. I think I can stand lettuce now…
Lys, You made lettuce soup too?