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1
Prepare cannellini beans if not from a can. If you're buying a stock, heat it up in a large soup pot. If you're not buying stock, prepare a stock by taking a large soup pot, dropping a metal colander into it, adding 3 quarts water, throwing all your carrot, fennel (reserve a few for topping), and leek tops into it (or anything else you're not gonna eat soon). Bring to a boil, and then simmer for at least 30 min. Pull out the vegetable-filled colander for compost.
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2
Thinly slice 1-2 onions. Dice sausage if in casing. Slice fennel bulb 1/4 in thick. Reserve tops for garnish. Halve carrots lengthwise, then slice thinly into half-moons. Chop rosemary leaves and toast fennel seeds lightly. Chop escarole into 1/2 in strips, and make a few haphazard cuts through the rest.
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3
Heat a large skillet. Add olive oil to coat entire base of pan and lower heat. Add onion and sausage. Cook 5 min. Add fennel bulb and carrots and cook for 4 min. Add rosemary and fennel seed for a minute. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of your pan.
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4
Add skillet ingredients you've prepared to your liquid-filled soup pot along with your chopped escarole at a medium-low flame for 15 minutes. Toast your bread, if you're using fresh.
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5
Add garlic, cooked beans, bread, and salt. Cook 30 minutes..
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6
Garnish with pecorino romano, fennel sprigs, and red pepper flakes.
