Escarole Soup

Escarole soup is a traditional St. Nicholas Day dish, consumed by a large number of people on the6^thof December every year.

This celebratory dish is not just savory and delicious, but also every bit healthy. To make it more interesting, you can always add some meatballs in the soup. Escarole soup is classicItalian and found only in authenticItalian Restaurants.

But you don’t need torely on anyone to taste this delectable soup. With this recipe, you can prepare you own escarole soup at home.

Health Benefits:

Escarole lettuce is packed with dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in anti-oxidants and creates a strong front against a number of diseases. Health conditions such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, heart diseases, hypertension, and osteoporosis remain far away from those who consume this leafy lettuce in large number. Additionally, Escarole also strengthens the immune system and supports neurological health.

Following is the nutritional chart of Escarole Soup:

Energy                  424 cal

Protein                 27 g

Carbohydrates  43 g

Fat                         16 g

Saturated Fat      6 g

Fiber                     3 g

Cholesterol         74 mg

Ingredients

head escarole—washed, trimmed and stems cut off: 1/2

large carrots (chopped): 1 1/2

cups vegetable stock: 12

spaghetti--broken into bite-sized pieces (or ditalini or tubetti): 4 oz

freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

cup plain bread crumbs: 1/2

cup onion (finely minced): 1/4

tsp salt: 1/2

ground veal: 1/2 lb

cup Freshly grated Parmesan cheese: 1/2

large egg: 1

freshly ground pepper to taste

How To Make Escarole Soup

1. Stack escarole leavestogetherand cut lengthwise..
2. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients of meatball together and make dough. Make tiny balls and set aside.
3. Fill a large pot with stock and add escarole and carrotsin it. Bring toboil and cook until the escarole is soft and tender, or forapproximately30 minutes.Add broken spaghettiand reduce the flame and let simmer.
4. Next, drop the meatballs in the pot and cook for 20-30 minutes or until the spaghetti and meatballs are cooked.
5. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano and enjoy!

Trivia:

• Escarole is an essential ingredientinStraciatella, an Italian-American dish consumed in large quantities during traditional holidays and closely resemblesescarole soup.
• The lettuce that we eattodaywas once a weed around the Mediterranean basin.
• It was Christopher Columbus who introducedlettuce to America.

It was the ancientkingsofPersia who ate lettuce for the first time 2500years ago.