Escarole and White Bean Soup

Escarole and White Bean Soup

Makes 4 quarts

This recipe is from "Lidia's Italy in America: More Than 175 Lovely, Tasty Recipes — and Their Stories — From All Parts of Italian America Today," by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich (Alfred A. Knopf, $35).

• Ingredients:

6 quarts water

1 pound dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight and drained

4 fresh bay leaves

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1½-pound head green kale, tough stems removed, leaves washed and coarsely shredded

12-ounce head escarole, tough stems removed, leaves washed and coarsely shredded

2 tablespoons kosher salt

• For finishing: ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 10 garlic cloves, sliced; 7 whole dried peperoncini; grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano-Reggiano

• Instructions:

Boil 6 quarts water with the bay leaf and dried beans in a large soup pot. Adjust the heat to a rapid simmer, pour in the olive oil and cook until the beans are halfway cooked, about 30 minutes. Add the kale and cook uncovered for 15 minutes. Add the escarole and 2 tablespoons salt and cook until the beans are tender and the soup has reduced to about 4 quarts, 20 to 30 minutes.

To finish, heat ½ cup olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Toss in the garlic and peperoncini and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is golden and fragrant, two to three minutes. Don't let garlic burn, or it will be bitter. Pour a few ladles of the soup into the skillet, let simmer a minute or two, and pour the contents of the skillet back into the soup pot. Return soup to a simmer and cook 10 more minutes to blend flavors. Serve with grated cheese.