This simple and nourishing Kale and White Bean Soup recipe combines creamy white beans, starchy potatoes, and loads of veggies with Tuscan kale for a delicious vegetarian soup that's on the table in under an hour. Simmered on your stovetop, this is a one-pot recipe that the whole family will love.
Italians always know best
If you're looking for evidence that the Italians have got it together when it comes to food, look no further than Kale and White Bean Soup.
I mean, personally, I'd look no further than pizza. Or pasta. Hand me a steaming bowl of Pasta e Ceci or a plate of Halloumi Carbonara. The evidence is clear; The Italians are geniuses.
But with Kale and White Bean Soup, two of my absolute favorite superfoods, kale and beans, come together in a cozy, nourishing bowl of deliciousness that will satisfy both your belly and your soul. As a nutritionist, this combination makes me happy because beans and greens join forces to make this recipe healthy and hearty.
All that in a plant-based soup that's incredibly creamy, loaded with veggies, and freezer-friendly to boot? Sign. Me. Up.
Let's make Kale and White Bean Soup together!
You'll find step-by-step instructions in the printable recipe card at the end of this post (use the "jump to recipe" button to skip on down there if you prefer), but for now let's walk through it together.
Step 1: Sauté
In a large, heavy-bottomed pot (I love using my Dutch oven for this), heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until translucent.
Add the garlic, carrots, onion, and potato, and sauté, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add the rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and sauté 1 minute more.
Step 2: Simmer
Add the beans and vegetable broth, then increase the heat to high, and bring the soup to a boil.
Cover, reduce to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Step 3: Blend
Using an immersion blender, purée half the soup for a thick and creamy texture. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer half the soup to a stand-up blender, and then return to the pot after blending.
Step 4: Soften
Add the kale and stir in the lemon juice. Return the soup to the heat until the kale leaves have softened.
Serve hot, with a drizzle of good olive oil, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and some freshly ground pepper.
Tips for the Best White Bean Soup
Use dried beans. You can definitely lean on the convenience of canned beans for making this recipe, but you can't beat the flavor of beans cooked from scratch if you've got them on hand. You can use our instructions for How to Cook Kidney Beans to cook Cannellini beans from dried if you want to make them for this recipe.
Use bean broth if you have it. If you’re making your soup with dried beans, save the cooking liquid and use it in place of the vegetable broth in this recipe.
Mix up your greens. Don't have kale on hand? Don't like it? By all means, mix up your greens. Swiss chard, baby spinach, or another leafy green all work great.
Add a cheese rind. If you have any Parmesan rinds on hand (or another hard cheese - yes, I know that Parmesan cheese isn't vegetarian), you can add them to the broth while it simmers for a more savory taste.
Add garnishes. Croutons, a slice of grilled sourdough, a dollop of pesto, or grated Parmesan would all be delicious.
Fresh Kale and White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 large yukon gold potato cubed
- 3 (14-ounce) cans white beans navy beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon finely minced rosemary
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon fine-grain salt more to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 small bunch Tuscan kale de-stemmed and sliced into ribbons (3-4 cups sliced kale)
- 1-2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice.
Instructions
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Add the onion, and sauté for 3-4 minutes, until translucent.1 medium yellow onion
- Add the garlic, carrots, and potato, and sauté, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.3 cloves garlic, 1 cup diced celery, 1 cup diced carrot, 1 large yukon gold potato
- Add the rosemary, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and sauté 1 minute more.1 teaspoon finely minced rosemary, pinch red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon fine-grain salt, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Add the beans and vegetable broth.3 (14-ounce) cans white beans, 6 cups vegetable broth
- Increase the heat to high, and bring the soup to a boil.
- Cover, reduce to medium-low, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Using an immersion blender, purée half the soup in order to make it thick and creamy. If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can transfer half the soup to a stand-up blender, and then return to the pot after blending.
- Add the kale and lemon juice. Return the soup to the heat until the kale leaves have wilted.1 small bunch Tuscan kale, 1-2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice.
- Serve hot, with extra lemon juice, pepper flakes, and a bit of freshly grated parmesan if desired.
Notes
- Nutrition values are an estimate only.
- For a creamy soup, use an immersion blender to blend about half of the soup. If you prefer your soup to be chunky with a thinner broth, you can leave it as is.
- I prefer Tuscan kale for this soup, but you can sub in green kale or another green if you prefer.
- Kale and white bean soup can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for 3-5 days. Alternatively, you can portion your soup into freezer-safe containers and freeze for 3-6 months.
Tina S. says
We are trying to incorporate more vegetarian meals in our rotation, this was the first one we tried from your website. It’s amazing! The lemon is the perfect addition and it was easy to put together.
Thanks!
Bennett says
I love how filling and veggie-packed this soup is! We serve it with homemade breadsticks, and I look forward to leftovers for lunches for a few days. This soup is a winner!
Jodi says
I just made this soup. I'm not vegatarian but i do love beans and kale. It is really good.. delicious!!! Thank you for sharing!
Ps Could you please share the serving size? Thanks!
Katie Trant says
Hi Jodi! The nutrition calculations are based on this recipe making six servings. I don't know exactly the volume of a serving size, but if you spooned it equally into six bowls you'd get it. Please note that the nutrition calculator can be wildly innacurate, so I always leave a disclaimer that the nutrition info is an estimate only.