White bean and kale soup is an incredibly simple one-pot soup recipe that takes less than 30 minutes to make. The soup is hearty, filling, satisfying and perfect healthy dinner for busy weekdays. Make the soup in 20 minutes with canned beans or use dried beans if you have time!
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What goes in this white bean kale soup
Here’s what you need:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 large carrots
- 3 stalks celery
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 1 teaspoon each dried oregano and thyme
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground pepper
- 3 ½ cups vegetable broth or stock
- 15 oz (3 ½ cups) canned beans drained and rinsed
- 3 cups kale
- 1 tablespoon vinegar (white vinegar or red wine vinegar)
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
White Bean – drained and rinsed thoroughly canned white beans if you want to make real quick soup.
If you have time use dried beans. You’ll need to use 2 cups of dried beans for the recipe that calls for 3 cans of white beans.
Onion, garlic – a simple broth based soup needs a lot of flavor to enhance it’s taste. Onion and garlic is the essential flavor base for this soup. Using fresh onion and garlic adds more flavor.
Vegetables – favorite go to vegetable for most soups is without doubt carrot and celery. Use can use other vegetables – mushrooms, potato, peas, zucchini.
Greens – sub. baby spinach for kale if not a fan of kale.
Herbs – any herbs of your choice can be used. Only fresh herbs or only dried herbs or a mix of both fresh and dried can be used (like I used – fresh rosemary, dried oregano and thyme). Dried herbs are potent than fresh herbs, so use less of dried herbs.
Broth or stock – any stock can be used. To keep it vegetarian use vegetable stock. If you aren’t particular about keeping it vegetarian, use chicken stock.
Parmesan – for umami savory flavor!
How to make white bean and kale soup
- Heat soup pot and melt butter. Add olive oil. Saute diced onion until onion.
- Saute celery, minced garlic.
- Cook until celery is softened.
- Diced carrots along with salt and freshly cracked pepper to your taste into the pot. Mix it all.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour in vegetable stock. Add rosemary stalk, and dried herbs oregano and thyme.
- Bring to boil and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add drained and rinsed canned beans. Give it stir.
Jo’s Tip: if you desire you can blend(portion) the soup to give creamier texture. Take out 2 cups of soup mixture (after adding canned beans and remove rosemary stalk), blend until smooth and add it back to the soup.
- Cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in chopped kale and vinegar. Note: adding vinegar is not shown in video. I forgot vinegar while I was shooting, but added to the soup later. Vinegar adds that perfect touch to the soup. Don’t forget vinegar.
- Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper if it needs more salt and pepper. Turn off flame.
- Serve soup with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top in serving bowls with soup dunkers – crusty sour dough bread, soda bread, cheesy garlic bread whichever is your favorite!
Helpful tips to make best white bean and kale soup
- Flavor – Fresh onion and garlic is highly recommended for better flavors. It’s the essential base for all broth based soup. Saute fresh onion, celery and garlic on low flame. It doesn’t have to be browned. Cook low and slow to release flavors.
- Thicken soup? If you want creamy texture, take out 2 cups of soup mixture, blend in powerful blend and add it back to make. Soup will thicken. Potato can be added to the soup to thicken it.
- Alternatively consider adding coconut milk or heavy cream to the soup if you want. It will change the soup texture from being broth-based soup to creamed soup.
- Add kick – bean soup isn’t spicy at all but it does have comforting savory flavor. To add kick to soup add ½ to 1 teaspoon of red chili flakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Any white bean will work here. Cannellini, lima beans, butter beans, navy beans, pinto bean, garbanzo bean will work.
If you have time use dried beans. You’ll need 2 cups of dried beans in the recipe which uses 15 oz canned bean. Dried bean need to be soaked in plenty of water for minimum 6 hours to maximum 12 hours (soaking over night works). Drain soaked bean and boil in large pot of water with 1 teaspoon of salt. Once water starts boiling, simmer cook with partially closed lid. Time to cook will vary depending on the quality of beans, duration beans was soaked and heat. Time will vary between 25 minutes to 2 hours.
Apart from onion, garlic, celery, carrot use mushrooms, potato, peas, zucchini.
Some recipes also use tomato paste in white bean and kale soup recipe.
Boneless chicken breast or thighs and ham are best protein that you can add to the soup. Chicken and pork sausages will work too.
Yes absolutely. White bean soup freezes well for up to 3 months stored in freezer safe containers.
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Real Simple White Bean and Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 2 large carrots
- 3 stalks celery
- 2 rosemary sprigs
- 1 teaspoon each dried oregano and thyme
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground pepper
- 3 ½ cups vegetable broth or stock
- 3 cans white beans 15 oz, drained and rinsed
- 3 cups kale
- 1 tablespoon vinegar white vinegar or red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat soup pot and melt butter. Add olive oil. Saute diced onion until onion is translucent.
- Saute celery, minced garlic.
- Cook until celery is softened a bit about 3 minutes.
- Diced carrots along with salt and freshly cracked pepper to your taste into the pot. Mix it all.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour in vegetable stock. Add rosemary stalk, and dried herbs oregano and thyme.
- Bring to boil and let it simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add drained and rinsed canned beans. Give it stir.
- Jo’s Tip: if you desire you can blend(portion) the soup to give creamier texture. Take out 2 cups of soup mixture (after adding canned beans and remove rosemary stalk), blend it until smooth and add it back to the soup.
- Cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in chopped kale and vinegar. Note: adding vinegar is not shown in video. As I forgot vinegar while I was shooting, but added to the soup later. Vinegar adds that perfect touch to the soup. Don’t forget vinegar.
- Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper if it needs more salt and pepper. Turn off flame.
- Serve soup with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top in serving bowls with soup dunkers – crusty sour dough bread, soda bread, cheesy garlic bread whichever is your favorite!
Video
Notes
- Flavor – Fresh onion and garlic is highly recommended for better flavors. It’s the essential base for all broth based soup. Saute fresh onion, celery and garlic on low flame. It doesn’t have to be browned. Cook slow until it turns flavorsome.
- Thicken soup? If you want creamy texture, take out 2 cups of soup mixture, blend in powerful blend and add it back to make. This will not only thicken the soup but also give it slight creamy texture. Adding one diced potato to the soup will also help thicken soup.
- Alternatively consider adding coconut milk or heavy cream to the soup if you want. It will change the soup texture from being broth-based soup to cream based soup.
- Added kick – This white bean and kale soup isn’t spicy at all but it does have comforting savory flavor to it from ingredients used. To add kick to soup add ½ to 1 teaspoon of red chili flakes.
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