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A hearty and healthy vegetable soup loaded with white beans and kale. White bean and kale soup is a deliciously warming soup for a plant-based family dinner or lunch. 

White bean and kale vegetable soup in red Le Creuset Dutch oven with a silver ladle on a marble counter. A delicious looking winter vegetable soup.

Brrrrrr it’s been cold! Has it been cold where you are? We’ve been lighting a fire every night and all I want lately is warming nourishing soup. 

I like to make a big pot of soup at least once a week for dinner or to have for lunch. This week I made a hearty vegetable soup with wintery potatoes and kale. If you’re not a huge lover of leafy greens, a soup is a great way to tone them down and get them in your diet. I personally am a kale lover, and enjoy them in salads like this Kale, Heirloom, and Orzo Salad and Kale Strawberry Salad, but I also add them to my Lentil Soup and Minestrone. 

How to Make White Bean & Kale Vegetable Soup

Chopped onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes in a Dutch oven to start a vegetable soup.

Sauté the Veggies 

The best way to start a flavorful soup is to sauté onion, carrot and celery in a little extra virgin olive oil. This time I added potato. 

Herbs and garlic on top of sauteed vegetables in a Dutch oven are the start of a white bean and kale vegetable soup.

Add Seasonings 

Once the veggies begin to soften, add minced garlic and herbs. I use either herbs of Provence, an Italian blend, or oregano, basil, and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper too! 

Cannellini beans and tomatoes are added to sauteed vegetables in a red Dutch oven while making white bean and kale soup.

Add White Beans, Tomatoes, and Broth

Let the vegetables, tomatoes, herbs, and beans simmer together to let those flavors develop. 

Bright green curly kale is chopped on a wooden cutting board before getting added into white bean and kale soup.

What Type of Kale Should I use for White Bean & Kale Vegetable Soup? 

There are a few different types of kale and any are fine here. I like curly kale best because I find it more tender than lacinato. Either way, give it a wash and remove the stems. Chop up the kale. I like bite-sized or smaller pieces so that they really blend in to this soup and my kids don’t pick them out. 

 Bright green chopped kale is stirred into white bean and kale soup in a red Dutch oven.

Wilt the Chopped Kale into the Soup

Like with most cooking greens, it seems like a lot of kale at first. But once it’s wilted into the soup it doesn’t seem like much at all. I used about 3 ounces of kale, but you can, of course, add as much as you like. 

Hot steaming white bean and kale soup in a Dutch oven.

Adding More Flavor to Kale & White Bean Soup

Depending on the broth you’ve used you may need to add a little or a lot more salt and pepper. The most flavorful broth concentrate I’ve found is (Amazon Affiliate Links) Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base.  I also like to a generous amount of nutritional yeast or dairy-free Parmesan from Follow Your Heart. Fresh herbs like basil or Italian parsley are a great way to add flavor naturally without any additional salt, oil, or sugar. If you like heat, try some crushed red pepper flakes. 

White bean and kale vegetable soup in two white bowls with spoons are garnished with fresh basil leaves.

Serve your hot white bean and kale soup right away or save and reheat later. A loaf of good crusty Italian bread is perfect for sopping up the delicious soup. 

A hearty and healthy winter white bean and kale vegetable soup. White bean and kale soup is a lunch or dinner that's plant-based, vegetarian and vegan.

 

More Vegetable Soups to Try 

Yield: Serves 6

White Bean and Kale Soup

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

A hearty and healthy winter white bean and kale vegetable soup. White bean and kale soup makes a warming lunch or dinner that's naturally plant-based, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free.

White Bean and Kale Soup

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 3 celery stalks, sliced
  • 3 medium potatoes, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning blend
  • 1 (26 oz.) box crushed or diced tomatoes
  • 2 (15 oz.) cans white beans such as Cannellini, drained
  • 32 oz. vegetable broth (gluten free if needed)
  • 1 bunch kale, stems removed and chopped
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • Nutritional yeast or Parmesan for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes and season with one teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Saute until starting to soften, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and herbs and saute another minute longer.
  2. Add the tomatoes, beans, and broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the vegetables are completely tender, about 20 minutes. This also gives the tomatoes time to mellow and the flavors to blend. Add the kale to the soup and stir in until combined and wilted. It will seem like a lot of kale at first, but will cook down. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I needed about another teaspoon of salt, but it depends on your broth).
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 309Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1262mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 12gSugar: 5gProtein: 15g

Nutrition information is calculated by a third party app and I can't guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information please calculate again with your own calculator.

© Marina Delio
Cuisine: Western / Category: Soup