Easy White Bean and Kale Soup
Get your daily dose of veggies in a cozy, satisfying bowl of White Bean and Kale Soup! This is a hearty, healthy vegan soup that’s packed with fresh flavor and great for meal prep!
Soup weather is in full swing over here in CA. No, we don’t have snow and freezing cold temps like some parts of the nation, but we do have a considerable amount of rain after a very dry December.
Rain always gets me in the mood for soup. Then again…I’m always in the mood for soup. 🙂
In the cold months, I love getting a big dose of veggies in a cozy bowl of soup. My autumn vegetable soup and instant pot vegetable soup always hit the spot.
This easy White Bean and Kale Soup is one of the best soup recipes, which I originally posted back in 2013 when I first started this blog.
It incorporates hearty kale, which is one of my favorite greens. I love enjoying it in massaged kale salad, but it turns out that it’s even tastier in soup!
It lends a nice hearty flavor that pairs perfectly with the creamy white beans and root vegetables.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- White Bean and Kale Soup is packed with veggies, creamy white beans and an entire bunch of kale and makes a healthy, satisfying meal.
- It’s very easy to make, and is easily customized with ingredients you have in your pantry!
- This is a fantastic meal prep recipe as it keeps for up to 5 days, or it may be frozen for up to 3 months.
Recipe ingredients
What I love about this white bean kale soup is that it’s completely plant-based, yet it’s nice and hearty. There are 2 cans of white beans in this soup, so it will stick to your ribs!
Ingredient notes
- White beans. Creamy white beans work so well in this recipe. I used cannellini beans, but Great Northern beans are a great substitute. In a pinch you can use whatever you have in your pantry.
- Kale. I love using kale in soups because it’s nice and hardy. For this recipe I used dinosaur kale (also known as Tuscan or lacinato), but you may use other varieties such as curly or baby kale.
- Veggies. This soup is packed with veggies and fire roasted diced tomatoes, which can be customized with what you have on hand.
- Vegetable broth. My homemade vegetable broth makes all the difference in this recipe, but it may be substituted with your favorite store bought brand.
- Flavor enhancers. I used fresh thyme, bay leaf and lemon juice to enhance the flavors in this white bean kale soup. These ingredients make this soup next level!
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
How to make white bean kale soup
This is a healthy meal that tastes so good that you’ll want it again and again. The best part is that you more than likely have all of the ingredients in your pantry or fridge.
The white bean and kale soup takes about 10 minutes of prep, 30 minutes of cook time, and it couldn’t be easier.
- Sauté the onion, carrot and celery in a large pot or Dutch oven in olive oil until softened, 5-7 minutes.
- Add the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, thyme, bay leaf and beans, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 15-20 minutes.
- Add the kale during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
- Remove the soup from heat and stir in the fresh lemon juice and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
Recipe FAQs
Cannellini beans, or white kidney beans, are the most popular white beans. Great Northern or navy beans are great substitutes..
Vegetable soups are the healthiest soups to eat as they’re packed with veggies, greens and herbs. If you’re following a low carb diet, be sure that you don’t include potatoes or other starchy veggies as they’re high in carbohydrates.
Recipe notes
- Whip up a batch of this white bean and kale soup recipe for your meal prep lunch or dinner, or freeze a batch for those busy weeknights.
- This soup is completely customizable with whatever vegetables that you have on hand.
- Store white bean kale soup in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
More Soup recipes you’ll love:
- Butternut squash soup
- Carrot ginger soup
- Creamy roasted tomato soup
- Escarole and bean soup
- Instant Pot vegetable soup
- Summer squash soup
- Pumpkin apple soup
- White bean turkey chili
Did you try this recipe? If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram
Easy White Bean and Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 large carrot chopped
- 1 large stalk celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 15 ounces fire roasted diced tomatoes
- 4 cups homemade vegetable broth or sub with your favorite store bought variety
- 1 spring thyme substitute with 1 teaspoon dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cans cannelini beans rinsed and drained
- 1 bunch kale torn, tough stems discarded
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and saute for 5-7 minutes or until softened.
- Add the diced tomatoes, broth, sprig of thyme, bay leaf and beans and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the kale during the last 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and remove the bay leaf and thyme sprig, then stir in the lemon juice. Adjust the seasoning as needed and enjoy!
Notes
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- White bean kale soup is completely customizable with whatever vegetables, greens or beans that you have on hand.
Nutrition
Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.
35 Comments on “Easy White Bean and Kale Soup”
My 13 year old granddaughter who is a vegetarian missed her school’s White Bean & Kale soup. So I looked on their menu & found a photo of it, no recipe given, so I would have an idea of what the ingredients might be & how it was prepared. I came across the photo of yours & after reading your recipe, I thought it might be similar to theirs. The school prepares their meals, they aren’t pre-packaged. So I thought I would give yours a try & cut it in half & make some adjustments for her preferences (using powered/granulated onion & garlic & ground celery seed instead of chopped pieces). She likes kale in soups but I’m not a big fan of kale at all but I was willing to try it. OH MY GOSH! It is one of my favorites! You are so right about the lemon at the end adding that pop of brightness to the taste! This recipe is very easy to adjust to specific preferences too! No need to freeze….it won’t last that long! I eat soups all year. I can eat them every day. I am not a vegetarian, I do eat chicken & some seafood but I try to eat as clean & healthy as I can. This is a fabulous recipe in so many ways! I’m sharing it with my friends & when I serve it, I will share your recipe with them & make sure you get the credit for it. Looking forward to your e-mails.
This comment just made my day Tina! I’m SO glad that you love the soup and that you can make it for your granddaughter. I’m so happy to have you here!
What is a serving size?
Hi Shannon. Unfortunately I don’t have an exact measurement right now, but I would say somewhere around 1 cup?
I’m one of those people who will eat soup even on hot days, so now that it’s gray outside it’s really all I want to eat. (Besides cookies.) This sounds delicious!
It’s so foggy here that all I want is soup or a hot beverage! haha Thanks Kelsie!
I can’t tell you how often we eat a similar soup…had one for lunch today. I’m looking forward to trying your version, I’m sure I will enjoy it.
I just love soups like this! Thanks Karen!
It looks tasty and very appetizing. Can’t wait to try this recipe. Have a great Sunday!
Thanks so much Balvinder!
I never say no to soup! I’ve been loving it during these freezing cold days we’ve been having here! I can’t wait to try this one – I’m already planning on timing a fresh sourdough loaf to come out of the oven with it for dinner. Yum! Have a great weekend, Marcie!
I never say no to it either, and fresh sourdough sounds delicious!!
This is my kind of soup – easy to make, healthy & plant-based! I usually put beans in my soups to make them nice & hearty. I’ll have to give this one try soon while we’re in soup season 🙂
PS – I currently have soup on the stove cooking for dinner!
I did the same thing and deleted a few old posts that I hated only to get emails from readers asking where they went, lol! It’s like, well why didn’t you tell me you liked it?? 😉
I can see why this one was a winner. It’s full of such hearty, healthy goodness!
Thank you so much Puja — I would love your feedback! 🙂
The weather here is perfect for a bowl of soup ! This looks so delicious! Pinning to try it this weekend!
Thanks so much Mira!
Mmmm this soup looks so warm and hearty! Pinned to try! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much Michelle! 🙂
I have been a soup eating machine lately!! haha This white bean flavor sounds soooo good! Totally right up my alley! And I love these photos!! So pretty and cozy!
There’s really nothing better than soup (or chili!) in the winter right? Thanks so much Ashley! 🙂
That winter storm (or bomb) definitely hit us, but the snow has finally melted! YAY! However, it is still cold, so I’m still slurping down ALL the soups! And this one totally needs to go on the menu! I love how easy this is, Marcie, yet it’s packed with so much goodness! This is the perfect way to stay cozy! Pinning! Cheers!
I feel for you..that “storm” was no joke! Glad to hear it’s finally melting! Thanks so much Cheyanne and stay warm!
OH YUM, this soup looks so hearty and comforting. I love that you added kale into it as well , I have it growing in my veggie garden and this soup looks like the perfect recipe to use it in. Thank you for the delicious recipe, I cannot wait to try it ?
Thanks so much Ashika and this is the perfect thing for your kale! 🙂
I’m always in the mood for soup too, even when it’s 90 degrees out! I don’t blame your friend for wanting this recipe back. It looks delicious, Marcie! I have yet to add kale into soup, so I’ve got to try this. I would love a big bowl of this for lunch today!
Same here Gayle…all kinds of weather is soup weather in my eyes! 🙂