White Bean Soup with Parmigiano-Reggiano Crostini October 2004

RH Staff

Yield: 4 quarts.

8 oz. Parmigiano-Reggiano® cheese with rind
3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 lb. sweet and/or hot Italian sausage links
11/4 lb. thinly sliced onions
2 qts. chicken broth
4 lb. cooked cannellini beans, drained
1 lb. escarole, sliced in 1" pieces
to taste, salt
to taste, ground black pepper
12 slices Italian bread, toasted

Remove rind from cheese and reserve. Pull a vegetable peeler or cheese slicer across cheese to make thin shavings; set aside. In a heavy saucepot, over medium heat, heat olive oil. Add sausage; brown on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside. Add onions; cook until tender and golden brown. Return sausage to saucepot along with cheese rind and broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to simmer; cook until sausage is cooked through and rind is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove saucepot from heat; transfer sausage and cheese rind to a cutting board. Slice sausage in thin rounds and cut cheese rind in small dice. Return sausage and cheese to pot; add beans and escarole. Simmer, covered, until escarole is tender, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To plate: Ladle soup into shallow soup bowls. Top each with a toast slice; scatter Parmigiano-Reggiano? shavings on top.

Photo Credit: PARMIGIANO-REGGIAN^®
Recipe adapted from a recipe by Marcella Hazan, author of Marcella Cucina, The Classic Italian Cookbook, Essentials of Italian Cooking, and more.