I love everything about escarole – it is stronger flavored than lettuce with that slightly bitter taste that makes it wonderful with a slightly sweetened dressing to play off it, or perfectly melty in soup. Believe it or not I roasted a large turkey on a hot Saturday in July (had to get it out of the freezer to make room for the next turkeys) and we had a great feed that evening. BUT, without sixteen people at the table, I had ample leftovers! So I made a turkey pot pie, and I made turkey Caesar salad, and then turkey escarole soup. It was delish!
- 1 TB olive oil
- A bunch of carrots halved and sliced 1/3″ pieces
- 2-3 c. chopped cooked turkey
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- About 6 cups of turkey broth (yes, you can use chicken or your favorite bouillon)
- 1-2 heads escarole, depending on size. I used about 1 1/2 heads because they were pretty big, chop or tear into 1″ pieces
- 3/4 c. orzo or other small pasta (ya, you could use rice or quinoa pasta, but plan accordingly with cooking times)
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
In a large stock pot, heat oil add carrots, onion, and garlic; cook, stirring, until onion softens. Add broth and bring to boil. Stir in escarole and orzo; bring to boil again. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until escarole and orzo are tender, 5-10 minutes. Add more broth or water if needed. Add turkey and pepper. Simmer a few minutes until turkey is heated through. Check seasoning for S & P. Serve with Parm.