Step 1

Heat the olive oil in a pot

Step 2

Add the garlic, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and saute until the fennel seeds are fragrant and the garlic is soft and browned, then set aside

Step 3

Bring a separate pot of water to the boil and add a few large pinches of salt

Step 4

Drop in all the escarole and cook, stirring a few times, until bright green, about 3 to 5 minutes

Step 5

Save 2 cups of the escarole water and set aside, then drain the escarole

Step 6

To the pot with the garlic mixture, add the escarole, beans (including the liquid), chicken stock and as much escarole water as you like (depending on how soupy you want this dish to be) and simmer until the beans are heated through

Step 7

Taste and adjust the seasonings, then serve per Bimpy's recommendation: "Over a nice chunk of crusty bread with Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, and then say good-bye to your mother-in-law!"     Subs, Swaps and Additions:  —You can substitute kale or Swiss chard for the escarole

Step 8

—I often add sausage, and it's lovely

Step 9

Cook the sausage in the pot, remove it and use the leftover grease to cook your fennel seeds and garlic, then follow the recipe from there

Step 10

Add the sausage back in when you add the beans and broth

Step 11

—I love adding pasta, especially ditalini

Step 12

I cook it separately until al dente, then add it to the pot

Step 13

—You can use dried beans instead of canned; it adds about 4 to 5 hours to the recipe, though