Italian Escarole And White Bean Soup-

Warm up on a chilly fall evening with Italian escarole white bean soup. This simple, hearty soup is perfect for cozy autumn dinners and for enjoying on Halloween night.

My Halloween Night Soup Tradition

I started a tradition many years ago when my kids were young to always have a pot of hot and nourishing soup on the stove for dinner on Halloween night before the kids went out in the cold damp night to go trick or treating.-

 Even though the kids are now grown and my local grandkids are past the "trick or treating" age, I know that I, and the hubby, will still be keeping the tradition and enjoying some delicious hot soup on Halloween night. 

Farmer's Market Seasonal Produce

I was at our local farmer's market and spotted a large, beautiful head of escarole among the lettuces and other fresh greens. It looked so good that I had to bring one home. The only problem was that I wondered what the heck do you do with all that escarole? 

I went online and started looking for recipes and different ways to use up the escarole. Since the weather has turned much chillier, soup seemed like the perfect place to start.

Created A Recipe

I found lots of recipes for Italian escarole and white bean soup. After reading through several of them, I got the general idea and decided to create my own vegan version with ingredients I enjoy. It turned out to be hearty and tasted great! You'll find my recipe at the bottom of this post.

Abundance of Escarole

But there was one little problem: I still had a ton of escarole left over!

Fortunately, escarole is a versatile leafy green that can be used in many ways beyond soup. If you've ever bought a head of escarole and wondered what else to do with it, I've gathered some easy ideas to help you put those leftover greens to good use.

Here are some easy ways to use escarole :

• Sautéed escarole: Chop the leaves and cook them in a skillet with a little water or olive oil, chopped garlic, and your favorite seasonings. 

• Escarole with white beans: Cook escarole with cannellini beans, garlic, and vegetable broth for a flavorful side dish or a light meal over rice.

• Pasta: Stir chopped escarole into your favorite pasta dish during the last few minutes of cooking. 

• Salads: The inner, lighter-colored leaves are usually more tender and work well in salads. Combine them with sliced apples or pears, orange segments, or other vegetables for a fresh salad with a little pleasantly bitter flavor.

• Buddha bowls: Cooked escarole makes a delicious addition to bowls with brown rice, quinoa, roasted vegetables, and beans.

• Mix it into other cooked greens: Combine escarole with spinach, kale, or Swiss chard for a flavorful mixture of greens. 

• Beans and stews: Stir chopped escarole into a pot of simmering chickpeas, lentils, or other beans toward the end of cooking. It adds color, texture, and extra vegetables to the dish.

The Soup Recipe: 

Ingredients: 

1 cup of diced onions

2 cups of diced carrots

2 cups of diced celery

2 cups of diced potatoes

1 cup of diced zucchini

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 cans of cannelloni beans, drained

Seasoning: garlic powder, salt, freshly cracked pepper 

1 tablespoon of vegetarian chicken flavored bouillon powder

8 cups of water

2 heaping cups of shredded chopped escarole

Directions: 

Add the onions to the liner of the Instant Pot. Sauce in 1/4 cup of vegetable broth for about 3 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, potatoes, zucchini and garlic. Add 1/4 cup more of broth and saute for another 5 minutes stirring. Add the beans, bouillon, seasoning, and water. Secure lid and set to pressure cook for 5 minutes. When done, allow to sit for 5 minutes and then carefully release the steam according to the manufacturer's instructions. When all steam is released, carefully remove the lid and add the escarole. Allow it to wilt into the soup. Soup usually tastes best after it has had time to sit and the flavors  mingle. Give it at least an hour before eating.

My Notes:

1. Escarole can be sandy, so separate the leaves and wash them thoroughly before chopping. 

2. The outer, darker green leaves tend to be more bitter, while the inner leaves are generally milder and more tender.

3.  Chop into fine short pieces, since once cooked it may be stringy.

4. Escarole soup is often called Italian escarole soup because escarole has a long history of being used in Italian cooking, especially in Southern Italy. 

5. Cannelloni beans are available in most supermarkets.

                                    Happy Halloween!!!

LuLu in her Halloween costume.. ( My grand cat)

Squirrels Do The Darndest Things

Is anyone old enough to remember the TV show, Kids Do the Darndest Things with Art Linkletter from the 1950's and 1960's? Well, I’m beginning to think there should be a show called Squirrels Do the Darndest Things! Those little critters never cease to amaze me!

I was walking down the street the last week, when I noticed that my neighbor had placed two big pumpkins by her mailbox. And wouldn't you know it? There was a squirrel sitting right on top of one of them!

I thought it was adorable, so I slowly approached, hoping to snap a photo. I got a few distance shots with my phone, but as soon as I got too close, off he scampered!

When I walked closer, though, I discovered what he had really been up to. The squirrel had gnawed a HUGE hole in one pumpkin and was already working on the second one. So much for just sitting there looking cute!

Pumpkin #1

Pumpkin #2

I already knew squirrels were little bandits when it came to birdseed. No matter how much we try to feed the birds, the squirrels always seem to attack it first and finish it. 

But big pumpkins? I never imagined those would be on their menu too. I was curious how they were able to eat it???

Apparently, nothing is safe from these furry little troublemakers!

My friend Vicki had been telling me that squirrels were attacking her little pumpkins that she put on her patio, and now I've seen their damage firsthand in my neighborhood too. 

Who knew that decorating for Halloween could turn into an all-you-can-eat buffet for the neighborhood squirrels? 🎃🐿️

Do you remember my previous post about the squirrel grabbing the corn on the cob from the neighboring farm field: Squirrel Post Here 

Last week we were visiting my son in Westchester, New York, and I spotted a rather large black squirrel. I thought it was very unusual. In my neighborhood all the squirrels are gray. 

Have you ever seen black squirrels? What are your experiences with squirrels? 

Halloween Jack -O'- Lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers

Looking for a fun and festive dinner idea for Halloween? These Halloween Jack-O'-Lantern Stuffed Bell Peppers are just the thing! Turn ordinary bell peppers into adorable little jack-o'-lanterns by carving funny faces into them and filling them with a delicious stuffing. 

I saw this clever idea with a different recipe on a wonderful blog called Carol On The Lake.  I thought it was so cute that I could not wait to try it and share my version. Thanks Carol.

My Directions: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Wash and dry your peppers. Using a sharp pairing knife, cut off the lids, clean out the pepper, and cut out the triangle eyes. Place the peppers in a wide pyrex pan with 1/2 -3/4 cup of water or just enough to steam the peppers without boiling them or burning them. Cover the pyrex and bake for about 25- 30 minutes or until the peppers are on the soft but not mushy. Check after 20 minutes.

Instead of Carol's meat filling for the stuffed peppers, I made

a filling that is vegan and gluten-free for me. 

Tex Mex Plant-Based Filling

Ingredients

1 cup of chopped onions

1 cup of chopped bell peppers

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 can of black beans, drained 

1.5 cups of cooked rice (of your choice)

1 cup of salsa

1 teaspoon of cumin powder 

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder 

1/2 teaspoon of salt

Optional: some like it hot- add hot sauce! 

Directions:

Saute onions, bell peppers, and garlic on a low heat in a large rimmed skillet until they are soft-stirring often. Add black beans, cooked rice, salsa, and seasonings. Cook on medium for another 5 minutes until filling is hot.

Add the filling to the softend peppers and serve. 

My Pyrex pan for steaming the peppers in a little water in the oven covered.  Check frequently to make sure you take out the peppers when firm enough to stuff. 

These easy Halloween stuffed peppers are a creative way to bring a little Halloween or fall spirit to the dinner table. They're perfect for a family dinner before heading out to trick-or-treat, or for serving when you want something a little different during the Halloween or fall season. With their silly faces and tasty filling, these edible jack-o'-lanterns are sure to bring some smiles to the table!

We really enjoyed these stuffed peppers; they were very filling and tasty. Since the bell peppers were large, I only made three- which was enough for the two of us ! We each had one and a half. 

Don't Forget to Visit Carol's Blog

For the full original meat recipe and directions, visit Carol's Blog at  Carol On The Lake.  You may even be interested in some of her other posts.  I visit her weekly.

Don't want to cook the peppers?

 They could also be used uncooked to hold carrot sticks or celery sticks for crudités at a party!!!

Halloween Fun In My Neighborhood -2026

I've noticed that every year, my neighbors really get more and more into the fun and spirit of Halloween.

I took a walk around the neighborhood and I was amazed with all their decorating. 

From BOO-tiful displays to pumpkins and all sorts of spooky surprises, the front yards have been transformed into a Halloween wonderland.