Kale Soup
Kale soup is the tastiest way to get your daily dose of greens! It’s hearty, flavourful, packed with veggies, and so simple to make.
If kale soup sounds ho-hum to you, be prepared to have your mind blown! This vegan kale soup recipe is super tasty thanks to the addition of flavour-packed vegetables, herbs, and spices. While I also love Kale Slaw and Kale Salad, I think this soup is one of the easiest ways to work kale into my day—I make a big batch of this soup over the weekend and then we have it for lunch all week, often with some Vegan Garlic Naan on the side. If you like your soups filling and satisfying, let me tell you: this is the ONE.
What Makes This Kale Soup the Best
Here’s why this is a kale soup you’ll actually be excited to eat.
- Hearty and satisfying. The addition of white beans makes this soup filling and satisfying, providing a balanced bowl with plenty of fibre and protein. You can totally make a meal out of this kale soup!
- So versatile. You can customise this soup by adding your favourite vegetables, different proteins, spare herbs that are sitting in your fridge, whatever! Kale works with so many different ingredients, it’s hard to go wrong.
- Great for making ahead. Kale soup is perfect for meal prep as it keeps well in the fridge and it freezes beautifully too.
Notes on Ingredients
The ingredients for this recipe are wholesome and healthy. Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
- Olive oil – Or another oil you like to use for cooking.
- Mirepoix – Yellow onion, garlic, carrots, and celery, also known as mirepoix. These simple ingredients come together to form the backbone of flavour in this kale soup.
- Seasonings – Dried thyme, dried oregano, smoked paprika, chili flakes, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Vegetable broth – I like to use my homemade vegetable broth, but a high-quality store-bought broth would also be fine.
- Fresh rosemary
- White beans – Chickpeas or cooked lentils would also work well in this recipe.
- Kale – Wash this well and remove the stems.
- Lemon – A squeeze of lemon juice adds bright flavour that elevates the whole dish. A splash of red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar would also work if you don’t have lemon on hand.
How to Make Kale Soup
You’ll find the complete instructions for this kale soup in the recipe card at the bottom of the page. This is just a quick overview!
- Sauté the aromatics. Cook the onion in the olive oil in a pot set over medium heat. Add the garlic and once it’s fragrant, stir in the carrots and celery. Sauté for 5 minutes, then stir in the thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, chili flakes, salt, and black pepper.
- Simmer. Add the broth and rosemary. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Thicken the soup. Discard the rosemary. Transfer 2 to 3 cups of soup to a blender and blend until it’s smooth. Stir this back into the pot.
- Add the beans and kale. Stir the kale and beans into the soup and simmer until the kale wilts.
- Serve. Season to taste and serve with a squeeze of lemon.
Tips for Success
As you can see, this kale soup recipe is incredibly simple, but here are a few additional pointers to help you make sure it turns out perfect.
- Cut the vegetables to even sizes. This ensures the vegetables all soften properly so you don’t end up with crunchy carrots or crispy onions in your soup.
- Buy pre-chopped kale. Many grocery stores sell bags of washed, chopped kale, which will speed up your prep time. Just make sure to go through the bag and remove any stems!
- Make it heartier. For an even thicker, creamier soup, blend half a can of beans with the vegetables and broth.
Variations
- Add vegan sausage. You can add your favourite plant-based sausage instead of or in addition to the white beans for extra protein. Just cook it according to the package instructions before adding it to the soup.
- Switch up the vegetables. Mushrooms, parsnips, zucchini, a can of diced tomatoes—they’d all make great additions to your kale soup.
- Add potatoes. For extra heartiness, add diced potatoes when you pour in the broth and simmer until they’re tender.
Serving Suggestions
I always love serving soup with bread to soak up the delicious broth. Crusty Olive Bread is my favourite lately, but I think Roasted Garlic Bread would pair well with this kale soup too. You can also round out your meal by adding a salad, like this Vegan Apple, Pecan, and Feta Salad.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Store leftover kale soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: This soup can also be frozen for up to 3 months in freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To reheat: Warm the soup on the stovetop over medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.
More Easy Vegan Soup Recipes
Enjoy friends! If you make this kale soup, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, 30 ml
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced – about 150 g
- 3 cloves garlic, minced – about 9 g
- 2 medium carrots, diced – about 240 g
- 2 celery stalks, diced – about 160 g
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1.4 g
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1.8 g
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 2.84 g
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, adjust to taste – 2.5 g
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt, about 4 g
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper, 1.42 g
- 6 cups vegetable broth, 1.4 liters
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary, whole
- 2 (15-ounce) cans white beans, drained and rinsed , (such as cannellini or great northern beans) – 850 g total
- 1 large bunch of kale, stems removed and leaves chopped – about 150 g
- 1 lemon for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
- Add the carrots and celery. Saute for 5 minutes, then stir in the thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, chili flakes, salt and black pepper.
- Add the vegetable broth and the whole sprig of rosemary. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15–20 minutes.
- Remove the rosemary sprig and discard it. Transfer 2–3 cups of the soup to a blender, blend until smooth, and stir it back into the pot.
- Stir in the white beans and chopped kale. Simmer for another 5 minutes until the kale is wilted.
- Remove from heat. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with a squeeze of lemon juice and some bread.
Notes
- Refrigerator: Store leftover kale soup in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezer: This soup can also be frozen for up to 3 months in freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Thaw it in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To reheat: Warm the soup on the stovetop over medium heat until heated through, stirring occasionally. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
This white bean and kale soup recipe is exactly what I’ve been searching for – that perfect balance of hearty white beans, flavorful, smoky broth, and healthy greens. For anyone familiar with Picazzo’s white bean and kale soup, adding a can of fire-roasted tomatoes to this recipe brings it incredibly close to that beloved flavor profile.
This recipe is quick and easy it is to throw together, especially using canned white beans. It’s perfect for a satisfying meal on a busy weeknight. The smoked paprika and chili flakes add an excellent depth and subtle kick that elevates this soup.
If you don’t add in tomatoes (optional), don’t forget the fresh lemon to squeeze in your bowl when serving; this brightens everything up beautifully.
I had to substitute 150g of spinach for the kale, but it worked out wonderfully! The spinach wilted down perfectly and still provided that lovely green element. Next time I’ll use kale, I just didn’t have any. And there will definitely be a next time, this recipe is going into my regular rotation. Thank you so much for sharing such a fabulous and reliable recipe – it’s a keeper!
Hi Nicole,
Thank you so much for sharing the love on this Kale Soup recipe. So so happy that you loved it!!
Delicious! Thanks for another healthy, yummy, meat-free recipe Jessica!
Hi Kelly,
Thank you for taking the time to share—so happy you loved this Kale Soup recipe.
Another healthy and yummy recipe! Made it as written and we really enjoyed it—thank you Jessica!
You’re so welcome Kelly! So incredibly happy to hear!!