Turkey and bean soup with escarole

 

We came down with colds, so I thought I'd try a variation on chicken noodle soup, only turkey with beans. Same sort of principle, right?

Turkey, escarole and white bean soup

Adapted from “Ready and Waiting” slow cooker book by Rick Rodgers

Ingredients

4 ounces dried white kidney beans

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium carrot, chopped

2 medium celery ribs, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 turkey drumsticks

4¼ cup water

1 2/3 cup broth

1 teaspoon salt

1 head escarole

Method

Soak dried beans overnight in enough water to cover by 2 inches. Then drain, discarding any flotsam. Transfer beans to slow cooker.

Add onion, carrot, celery, garlic, parsley and pepper to the slow cooker.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Brown drumsticks on all sides. Transfer drumsticks to slow cooker atop vegetables.

Pour in water and broth. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 7 hours until beans are tender and drumsticks are cooked through. Remove drumsticks, and remove skin and bone. Return meat to the pot along with 1 teaspoon of salt.

Cut escarole crosswise into 1-inch wide strips. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and add escarole strips. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes, and drain well. Stir into soup and serve.

Rating: Slightly better as leftovers when I could taste it more.  But still not overly flavorful. Maybe if I'd smashed up a few beans to give it more texture? Maybe use Swiss chard instead of escarole? Maybe add more garlic? Not horrible, but probably not worth trying to make it into something it's not.