Chicken and Escarole Soup
This brothy soup is the ideal antidote to winter overload. The rich, golden broth is brimming with leeks, potato, chicken and tender wilted escarole. Pasta adds some heft but feel free to swap it out for farro, brown rice or barley. Finish with lots of freshly cracked black pepper and a squeeze of lemon.
I really love escarole in soup. It’s far too underrated – or maybe just under used? Escarole is a member of the chicory family, like radicchio and endive. It looks sort of like a large head of lettuce with frilly, scraggly leaves. It’s quite bitter when eaten raw but the bitterness mellows substantially when cooked. Unlike other sturdier greens that you might throw into a pot of soup (like kale or chard) escarole is delicate and melds beautifully into the broth and other ingredients.
There’s a lot of flexibility in this recipe, don’t feel too locked in to the ingredients list. Pasta can be swapped out for rice, orzo or pearl barley. If leeks and onions feels excessive you can absolutely skip one or the other. Waxy gold potatoes are my favorite but russets will also do just fine. Leftover roast chicken can be used in lieu of raw. You see where I’m going here?
Starting with good chicken stock is essential, ideally homemade. If you are using boxed stock it’s all the more important to really take the time to sear the chicken until you get all those nice golden crispy bits (aka: fond) on the bottom of the pan. This add so much extra depth and flavor to the broth.
Ingredients:
To make this recipe you’ll need: boneless skinless chicken thighs, leeks, onions, celery, garlic, white wine, potatoes, chicken stock, pasta or rice, escarole, lemon, salt and black pepper.
*See recipe card for additional notes and ingredient substitutions.*
Take your time searing the chicken, ensuring lots of beautiful, crispy bits of fond form on the bottom of the pot. This is where you really build flavor and depth into your soup. Same goes for the mirepoix – don’t rush this step. Sauté the onions, leek, celery and garlic until they’re meltingly soft and fragrant. They should look good enough to eat on their own.
The potatoes are fine to be cooked directly in the soup, they wont drink up too much of the soup. The pasta however I always cook separately and add to the soup at the end. If you cook the dried pasta in the soup it will absorb almost all of the broth and you’ll end up with less of a bowl of soup and more of a bowl of pasta. Not necessarily a bad thing but not exactly what were aiming for.
Escarole is the last ingredient to be folded into the soup just before serving. Taste and season the soup as needed with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. A squeeze of lemon juice brightens the whole thing up. Occasionally when I make this soup I finish it with a generous grating of parmesan cheese – another delicious adaptation to try.
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Chicken and Escarole Soup
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 medium yellow onion - finely chopped
- 2 leeks, white and light green part only - rinsed well and roughly chopped
- 2 stalks celery - finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic - grated
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 2 medium gold potatoes - peeled and diced
- 1 cup dried pasta - like: cavatelli, orzo, ditalini
- 3 cups roughly chopped escarole
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Brown the Chicken: Place a large dutch oven or similar heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat-high. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Add a few glugs of olive oil to the pot, as soon as it's hot and shimmering, add the chicken. Cook the chicken until well browned, about 10 minutes, then flip to the second side. Continue cooking until you see lots of golden bits of "fond" on the bottom of the pot. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate or baking tray, it's okay if it's not fully cooked through, set aside.
- Sauté the Mirepoix: Next, deglaze the pot with the white wine. Bring to a simmer and use a use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits of fond that may be stuck to the pan. Once the wine has reduced by 2/3 add the diced onion, leek, and celery along with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to medium, sauté for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are soft and aromatic then add the garlic and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes.
- Simmer: Next add the chicken stock, bring to a simmer. While you're waiting for the stock to come up, roughly chop, or tear the chicken into small, bite-sized pieces then add it back into the pot along with any drippings. Once the soup reaches a simmer, turn the heat down to low, add the diced potato, cover and continue cooking until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. In the meantime cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.
- To serve: Just before serving add the cooked pasta and escarole to the soup, stir to combine. Taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Divide between bowls and serve with freshly cracked black pepper and lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- Chicken Thighs: I like to use boneless skinless thighs because they’re flavorful and easy to sear and shred. You could absolutely use bone-in, skin-on – just be sure to remove the skin and discard the bones after searing. You can also use chicken breast or any other cut.
- White Wine: wine can be omitted, instead deglaze the pot with some chicken stock
- Leek: leek can be omitted, if needed.
- Escarole: substitute: and leafy green: spinach, swiss chard, kale
- Gold Potatoes: substitute: russets
- Dried Pasta : substitute: rice, farro, barley
- Leftover soup will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Reheat over low heat in a saucepan or in the microwave.
- Freezing Instructions: Cool the soup completely then transfer to an airtight, freezer-safe storage container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, defrost the soup overnight in refrigerator then warm in the microwave or in a saucepan over low heat until hot – stir well.
