White Bean and Kale Soup
It is January in Chicago, which means it’s time to really lean in to all of the cozy soups, right? A lot of my soups are variations of classics I’ve been eating my whole life – Tomato Soup, Pasta Fagioli, Lentil Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup, etc. But I started making this white bean and kale soup when I was trying to figure out how to pack a lot of veggies into a healthy but comforting lunch to get through the winter months. And that’s exactly what this is – packed with veggies, super healthy, and oh so comforting!
The majority of the ingredients in this are pantry and fridge staples that you probably already have on hand. You might need to run out to grab some kale or celery – but other than that, there’s nothing crazy in this soup. It’s such proof that simple is sometimes the best!
White Bean and Kale Soup
ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup diced yellow onion (about 1 small onion)
3/4 cup thinly sliced carrots (about 3 carrots)
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans cannellini beans, drained
1 pinch of red pepper flakes
1/2 tbsp thyme
4 cups vegetables stock
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
4 cups kale, roughly chopped
instructions
1. Add olive oil to a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
2. Add drained cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, thyme, vegetable stock, and water. Bring the soup to a boil.
3. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Use an immersion blender to lightly blend the soup, leaving at least half of the beans and vegetables whole. (You can also use a ladle to transfer about 1/4 to 1/2 of the soup to a blender. Blend it up and then add it back in.)
5. Add lemon juice and grated parmesan cheese.
6. Add the kale and stir for a minute or two, until the kale is wilted.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve hot and garnish with extra parmesan, fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, or a drizzle of high quality extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!
White Bean and Kale Soup Variations
Immersion Blender vs. Regular Blender
Using an immersion blender for this recipe is definitely easier, but it’s not necessary! If you don’t have one, just ladle about 1/4 of the soup into your blender. Pulse until it’s creamy and then add it back into your soup. That being said, if you make a lot of soups, having an immersion blender is really awesome. I especially love to use it when I make my Healthy Tomato Soup!
Better Than Bouillon vs. Broth
I pretty much only use Better Than Bouillon when recipes call for broth – mostly because it’s easy to always have on hand, but also because you have more control over the sodium in your dish! The conversion is usually 1 tsp of bouillon per 1 cups water – but you can also add a little bit less and then adjust the salt and pepper at the end to taste!
Make It Vegan
All you have to do to make this vegan is leave the parmesan cheese out – that’s it!
White Bean and Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3/4 cup diced yellow onion (about 1 small onion)
- 3/4 cup thinly sliced carrots (about 3 carrots)
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 cans cannellini beans, drained
- 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tbsp thyme
- 4 cups vegetables stock
- 1 cup water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- 4 cups kale, roughly chopped
Instructions
1. Add olive oil to a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Saute for about 5 minutes, until the onions are translucent.
2.Add drained cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, thyme, vegetable stock, and water. Bring the soup to a boil.
3. Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Use an immersion blender to lightly blend the soup, leaving at least half of the beans and vegetables whole. (You can also use a ladle to transfer about 1/4 to 1/2 of the soup to a blender. Blend it up and then add it back in.)
5. Add lemon juice and grated parmesan cheese.
6. Add the kale and stir for a minute or two, until the kale is wilted.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Serve hot and garnish with extra parmesan, fresh herbs, red pepper flakes, or a drizzle of high quality extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 270Total Fat: 7.6gSaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 15mgCarbohydrates: 38.7gFiber: 10.8gProtein: 8.8g
February 7, 2021 @ 9:58 am
This recipe is AMAZING! Every Lake Shore Lady recipe I try is a home run, and this was no different. Wouldn’t change a thing and can’t wait to make it again!
February 7, 2021 @ 12:02 pm
YAY! You just made my day, Elena! So glad you liked it!