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[caption id="attachment_1738" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Popeye didn&#39;t know squat. Auntie I says, &quot;Eat your Escarole!&quot; "]<a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB040182.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-1738" title="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/PB040182-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a>[/caption]

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<p>Who loves soup on a blustery Autumn day?  On a cold winter's night? 

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<p>Are you ready for a DELISH soup recipe? 

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<p>THIS, my friends, is an authentic Portuguese Escarole Soup recipe passed down from my Aunt Ida aka Auntie I.  (Auntie I is technically my great Aunt -- my Nana's sister.) 

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<p>When I ate Day 40's leftovers at lunch today, Corinnie-cakes and Cooleenie both asked, "What the heck is escarole?" 

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<p>I am happy to be of service, my friends.  Escarole is...

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<p>Actually, I really don't know what the heck it is either.  Except a leafy green.  And I flip for leafy greens.  Spinach, kale, Swiss chard, collard greens -- YUM!  Must be a Portuguese thing. 

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<p>I looked up escarole for us, and it looks like there's a whole host of reasons why we need to eat it.  Check it out at <a href="http://www.cookthink.com/reference/2667/What_is_escarole" target="_blank"><strong>Eat Your Escarole, Peeps!  </strong></a>

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<p>Here is Auntie I's recipe, dictated straight from the Portuguese woman's mouth: 

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<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #008000;"><strong>Portuguese Escarole Soup</strong></span></span>

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<p><strong>Ingredients:</strong>

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<p>Chicken Broth (buy as much as you want.  I used 3 of the 32 oz cartons of Swanson Low Sodium.) <em> (Late Bloomer used Free Range Chicken Broth from Whole Paycheck.) </em>

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<p>Escarole or Rapini also known as Broccoli Rabe (I used two heads of Escarole since I made a huge pot)

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<p>Potatoes ( I used 4 of the big russets)

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<p>small onion

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<p>Garlic  <em>(Late Bloomer really digs garlic, so she used 4 cloves when she halved this recipe.  You could use 8 or less for the full recipe.)</em>

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<p>olive oil

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<p>Chop up the onion finely as well as the garlic.   Sauté in olive oil until a nice yellow color.  Add the broth, bring to a boil and simmer while you peel and cut up the potatoes.  <em>(Late Bloomer left the skins on!  Don't peel away the nutrition and the fiber!)</em>  Cut the potatoes up into smallish cubes.  Put in pot and return to a boil.  Cook until they just about fall apart.  Then take your potato masher and mash them up good.  <em>(In Late Bloomer's universe, this translates to "blend most of the potatoes in the VitaMix and then add to the soup to thicken the broth".)</em>

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<p>While those potatoes are simmering away, wash your greens good to get rid of grit.  Then chop them up.  Pack them down into the pot because they will boil away to nothing.  I used two big heads because I wanted lots of greens.   Cook them for about 10 minutes or so.  Eat and enjoy. 

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<p>This took about 1 hour start to finish depending how fast your chop etc. 

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<p>If you try this at home, please send me your culinary review! 

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<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #008000;"><strong>Viva Portugal!  </strong></span></span>

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<p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #008000;"> </span></span>

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<p><a href="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/portugal-flag.png"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-1741" title="portugal-flag" src="http://www.diaryofalatebloomer.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/portugal-flag-300x199.png" alt="" width="300" height="199" /></a>

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