A typical Neapolitan peasant dish, where just a few ingredients transform into a warm, nutritious, and flavorful dish. Neapolitan-style escarole and beans are ideal for fall and winter, enjoyed with toasted bread or crostini. Here’s the step-by-step recipe.
Editorial Staff • October 29, 2025
Wellness
Healthy Eating
Neapolitan-style escarole and beans is a traditional Neapolitan dish made with escarole, cannellini beans, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, and chili pepper. This rustic soup is easy to make and perfect served hot with homemade bread. It’s a budget-friendly, nutritious, and meatless recipe, beloved for its simple, hearty flavor.

🥄 Neapolitan-style escarole and beans recipe

📋 Ingredients (for 4 people):

1 large head of escarole (curly endive)
250 g of dried cannellini beans (or 400 g already cooked)
2 cloves of garlic
Extra virgin olive oil to taste
Dried chili pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Homemade bread (optional, to accompany)
🕐 Preparation: times
Preparation: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour (with dried beans) or 20 minutes (with cooked beans)

Difficulty: easy

🥣 1. Soak and cook the beans (if dry)

If using dried beans, soak them in cold water for 8-12 hours. Drain and cook in unsalted water for about 1 hour, until tender. Alternatively, you can use pre-cooked beans.

🥬 2. Cleaning and cooking the escarole

Rinse the escarole under running water to remove any remaining dirt. Blanch it in salted water for 5 minutes, drain, and squeeze well. This removes any excess bitterness.

🍳 3. Tasty stir-fry

In a large skillet, heat a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, add the crushed garlic cloves and chili pepper. Sauté for a few minutes until the garlic is golden brown, then discard.

🥘 4. Mixing the ingredients

Add the drained escarole and cook for 5-10 minutes. Then add the cooked beans (with a ladle of their cooking water or a little hot water). Cook together for 15 minutes over medium heat, seasoning with salt.

🍞 5. Service

Serve the escarole and beans piping hot, with a drizzle of raw oil and, if you like, with slices of toasted bread or croutons.

💡 Helpful tips:
You can add an anchovy to the soffritto for a stronger flavor.
Some people add a diced potato to make the soup creamier.
It can be prepared in advance: it’s even better the next day.
📈 Why is it so popular?
This dish is so simple, inexpensive, and warms both body and heart. Perfect for those who love the authentic flavors of Neapolitan cuisine and want to bring something healthy and traditional to the table.