Braised Escarole with onions and white beans

Easy, economical, nutritious . . . sounds like a trifecta to me. I had never considered escarole until about two weeks ago, when an Italian friend mentioned she was making some for dinner. As I've mentioned in earlier posts, I'm working hard at expanding the number of vegetables in my diet. Escarole was a perfect candidate for addition.

This recipe includes a sweet onion, to balance the bite of the escarole, and white beans, a great source of protein. Though I originally served this as a side dish, it works great over pasta. Many traditional Italian recipes include sausage in this mix. I hope to try that the next time I make this recipe.

Braised Escarole with White Beans & Onions

1 large sweet onion, sliced thin approximately 1.5 cups

1 head of Escarole, rinsed and coarsely chopped

2 tbsps. oil

1 package baby crimini or white mushrooms, sliced

1 cup vegetable or chicken stock

1 15 ounce can great white northern or other small white beans, rinsed and drained

grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat oil in large skillet with a lid. Add sliced/chopped onion and cook until beginning to soften. Add Escarole, sliced mushrooms and stock. Lower heat to simmer, cover skillet, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Vegetables should all be very soft at the end of this time. If necessary add additional stock and continue to braise. Add beans, mix to incorporate, and cook for an additional 5 minutes, until beans are heated through. There should be some broth remaining in the skillet at the end of the cooking time.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve as a side or over pasta, sprinkled with parmesan.

Enjoy!