Quick white bean & kale soup is one of my favorite soup recipes. I’ve been making it for the last two years and I just love it. It’s full of wholesome ingredients like kale and garlic which make for a delicious soup. It is an easy recipe with simple prep. A friend turned me onto this recipe so I can’t take full credit for it, but It’s so good I had to post it on my blog. This creamy white bean soup is a great option for those cold rainy days.
Here’s what you need to make this quick white bean & kale soup:
Veggie’s & Fruit
Onion: You’ll need 1 small fresh onion, finely diced to give you 1 cup. I like a yellow onion for this recipe, but white onion will also work.
Garlic: You’ll need 12 cloves of garlic, finely minced. I recommend getting 1 whole bulb so you are sure to have enough.
Kale: You’ll need roughly 3 cups of chopped fresh kale. There are a few varieties out there. I like lacinato kale or tuscan kale (aka Dinosaur kale), but you could use any variety you like. Other leafy greens that might work are Swiss chard or spinach. Baby kale has tender leaves like baby spinach so if you substitute with this the leaves may not hold up as well in the soup. If you are in a hurry you can buy a bag of the pre-washed and chopped kale. Just be sure to toss out any thick stems that are mixed in with the leaves.
Lemons: You need 1-2 lemons juiced. I find that squeezing fresh lemon juice at the end really brightens up the soup. Start with 1 lemon and if you feel like you need more add the second one.
Pantry items
Cannellini Beans: You’ll need 2 cans of white beans. (15 oz.). Feel free to use cannellini beans, great northern beans, white navy beans, or white kidney beans. Drain and rinse each can of beans in a colander. Remove 1 cup of beans to a bowl and mash them up with the back of a fork. This will help create a creamy texture to the soup.
Chicken Broth: You’ll need 6 cups of chicken broth or vegetable broth.
Salt, Pepper, and Olive Oil: You need 1 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, and 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Cheese
Parmesan Rind and Parmesan cheese: If you have a wedge of parmesan cheese you can cut off just the rind and throw it in the soup. It is a great addition to the soup and offers a salty flavor and helps thicken up the soup. I also like to add fresh grated parmesan cheese over individual bowls.
How to make this white bean kale soup:
Prep the veggies
Start by mincing the garlic. 12 cloves is a lot of garlic. This is a good time to take out that mini-food processor I’m always talking about. Just peel the garlic cloves before adding it to the processor and it’s minced in less than a minute. If you don’t have a mini food processor try a garlic press or just cut it the old fashion way with a really sharp knife! Next, finely dice the onion and roughly chop the kale. Be sure to remove the large stem that runs down the middle of each leaf.
Prep the beans
Drain and rinse the cans of beans in a colander. Remove 1 cup of beans to a bowl and mash them up with the back of a fork.
Let’s cook!
Use a dutch oven or large pot to make this soup. Begin by warming up olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Once the oil is warm add the diced onions and cook until soft and translucent. This takes about 5 minutes or so.
Next add the minced garlic. Stir the garlic continuously to avoid it burning. Cook this about 1 minute until it softens a bit and becomes really fragrant.
Add the kale and stir until the leaves are coated with the oil and combined. Next, add the broth/stock, mashed beans, salt, pepper, and rind of parmesan wedge if using. Bring this all to a boil over medium-high heat and then lower the heat and simmer. Add in the rest of the beans and cook for 30 minutes.
Finish the soup
Turn off the heat and remove what’s left of the parmesan rind. Add the juice of one lemon and taste the soup to see if it needs anything. Add more salt, pepper, or more lemon juice if needed. I like it on the lemony side, so I usually add both lemons.
Let’s eat!
Ladle the soup into bowls and grate fresh parmesan cheese over the top. Serve this hearty white bean soup with crusty bread for a perfect meal.
More recipes to try!
Quick White Bean & Kale Soup
Quick white bean & kale soup comes together in under an hour and tastes delicious. Made with garlic, white beans, and kale finished with fresh lemon juice and parmesan cheese. Perfect for cold rainy days!
Ingredients
- 1 small onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 12 garlic clove, minced
- 3 cups kale, remove stem & chop
- 2 (15 oz.) cans Cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
- 6 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1-2 lemons, juiced
- Parmesan cheese to garnish each bowl of soup
- *parmesan rind (if you have the rind of a wedge of parmesan cheese this is a great addition!)
Instructions
1. Drain and rinse beans. In a separate bowl mash 1 cup of the beans. Set aside.
2. Using a large pot, warm olive oil over medium heat.
3. Add onion and cook until onion is soft and translucent. About 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic. Cook for about 1 minute until soft. Make sure not to brown the garlic. Stir occasionally to avoid this.
5. Add kale and stir until combined.
6. Add stock, mashed beans, salt, pepper, and rind of parmesan wedge if using.
7. Bring to a boil over high heat.
8. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer, add the rest of the beans, and cook for 30 minutes.
9. Turn off the heat. Remove what’s left of the parmesan rind.
10. Add the juice of 1-2 lemons. Taste. Add salt and more lemon if needed.
11. Serve!
