Ingredients
| 1 large or 2 small bunches escarole | ¼ c unhulled sesame seeds |
| 1 lg. onion or 2 leeks | 3-4 TB. mirin (rice cooking wine) or 1 cp. white wine |
|
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 TB. olive oil |
8-9 cps. water or vegetable stock or a combination |
|
1 tsp. grated ginger 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper |
2-3 TB. GF Soy sauce or tamari, if using water Pecorino Romano or Rice Parmesan Cheese |
Directions
- Wash greens and chop.
- Wash sesame seeds and drain in a fine mesh strainer.
- Heat the oil in a soup pot.
- Add the seeds to the pot along with garlic, ginger, crushed red pepper, and onions. Sauté, stirring often, until seeds are golden brown.
- Add 8-10 cups water or stock, bring to a boil, turn down flame and simmer 5 -10 minutes. Add escarole and simmer 10 – 15 minutes more.
- Add Soy sauce and mirin or wine to taste.
- Sprinkle with grated Rice Parmesan cheese. If you are not vegan you can use grated Pecorino Romano cheese (sheep).
Tips and Options
Grate ginger on the small holes of a grater in a circular motion. Grating it back and forth causes it to get stringy. I have a ginger grater which is a small dish with sharp prongs. I grate the ginger, then pour a little of the soup stock over it to get it out of the dish (or off of the grater).
For a heartier soup, add vegan sausage, sliced and added when you sauté the herbs. If you are not vegan, use organic chicken sausage.
Add a can of rinsed organic cannellini beans instead of the sausage.
You can use endive or any hard dark leafy green instead of escarole or a combination.
Instead of soy sauce or tamari, you can use 4-5 tsp. miso. Chickpea Miso is very good in this soup.
High quality soy sauce and tamari made the traditional way have health benefits when used moderately and in cooking only. Traditionally made soy sauce is a good source of amino acids and glutamic acid. Because it is fermented it contains enzymes that benefit digestion. I like Mitoku brand.
