Escarole, meatballs, chicken broth, and arborio rice. What's not to love? A simply tasty, comforting, and easy soup to prepare. It's perfect anytime.
Ingredients for Escarole Soup:
1/2 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup plain panko
6 1/2 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup arborio rice
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1-2 stalks of celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Time-Saving Tips: The vegetables can be prepped in advance. The entire dish can be made in advance and gently reheated.
Let's see what we need.
We're ready to cook.
Make sure to prep the vegetables and ready to go so they will be ready when you are.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a medium-sized bowl combine the 1/2 pound of sausage, 1/2 pound ground chicken, cheese, and panko. Shape into 30 equal meatballs. Place meatballs on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate while preparing the rest of the soup.
Saute carrots, onion, and celery in 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper. Saute about 3-5 minutes over low-medium heat. Add the broth, water, rice, and escarole and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and add all of the meatballs; stir. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until rice and meatballs are cooked.
It's ready! It looks great and tastes great, too! Serve with some crusty Italian bread and you have a great meal. It's great to serve to a group since kids and adults love it.
Enjoy!