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This homemade White Bean and Kale Soup recipe is easy, affordable, and the epitome of comfort food all year round. My simple soup recipe proves that you can coax loads of flavor out of 5 ingredients in just 30 minutes.
Meggan’s notes
You don’t need complex ingredients or techniques to eat a delicious meal. And even though I’m a classically-trained chef, that doesn’t mean I wanted to eat complicated dishes all the time! Sometimes you just want a simple, tasty meal that’s ready fast.
This White Bean and Kale Soup is my go-to for something light and nutritious that doesn’t break the bank or take all day. The secret is two cans of beans two different ways: You mash one can of beans which helps thicken the soup, and you add the other can whole. It’s always nice when dishes look like the ingredients they contain, so leaving half the beans whole accomplishes that.
We also build flavors with sautéed onion and chicken broth. You can absolutely substitute vegetable broth to make this soup vegan, but either way, be sure to season it with enough salt so your bowl isn’t bland. Add a few handfuls of fresh kale and cook until tender. You’ll be surprised how tasty this is for the low effort required!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Cannellini beans: 3 cups cooked beans can be substituted for the 2 cans (that’s about 1 cup dried beans before cooking). You can use any type of canned or cooked bean instead of cannelini beans. You’ll mash half of the beans to thicken the soup and stir in the other half whole.
- Chicken broth: Chicken broth adds the best flavor to this white bean soup. Substitute vegetable broth to make the soup vegetarian or vegan.
- Kale: Any hearty, leafy dark green like escarole or chard will do. Just be sure to remove the thick stems and tear into 1-inch pieces for spoon-sized bites that wilt down wonderfully.
Step-by-step instructions
- Heat the oil in a 3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mash one can of beans in a small bowl.
- Add mashed beans, broth, and water to saucepan. Bring to a boil.
- Stir in the remaining whole beans and the kale. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer about 20 minutes, until the kale is tender.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Serve with crusty bread if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 hearty servings, 2 cups each.
- Storage: Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead: For company, this soup is best served the day it is prepared because the beans tend to break down over time.
- Freezing: Cool within 2 hours, then portion, label, date, then freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Flavor boosters: I love the light, clean flavor of this soup and I think it is delicious as written. But if you are seeking more flavor, try a clove of garlic (minced), a bay leaf, a leftover Parmesan rind, or some leftover chicken.
- Garnishes: Top with croutons, pieces of toasted baguette, or grated Parmesan cheese.
- Slow Cooker: Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker and stir. Cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. During the last 20 minutes of cook time, stir in the kale and cook until tender. Enjoy warm, ladled into bowls straight from the slow cooker.
- Soup and sandwich: White bean and kale soup is delicious paired with my Ultimate veggie wrap, turkey roll-ups, or tuna salad on toast.
Frequently Asked Questions
3 cups cooked beans can be substituted for the 2 cans (that’s about 1 cup dried beans before cooking). You can use any type of canned or cooked bean instead of Cannelini beans.You’ll mash half of the beans to thicken the soup and stir in the other half whole.
To make this soup in a slow cooker, combine all ingredients in a crockpot and stir. Cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours. During the last 20 minutes of cook time, stir in the kale and cook until tender. Enjoy warm, ladled into bowls straight from the slow cooker.
This recipe is made with chicken broth, but you can easily substitute vegetable stock for a plant-powered, vegan soup.
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White Bean and Kale Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion peeled and chopped
- 2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed (see note 1)
- 4 cups chicken broth (see note 2)
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups kale stems removed and torn into 1” pieces (see note 3)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a 3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mash one can of beans in a small bowl. Add mashed beans, broth, and water to saucepan. Bring to a boil.
- Stir in remaining beans (left whole) and kale. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer about 20 minutes, until kale is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper).
Recipe Video
Notes
- Cannellini beans: 3 cups cooked beans can be substituted for the 2 cans (that’s about 1 cup dried beans before cooking). You can use any type of canned or cooked bean instead of cannelini beans. You’ll mash half of the beans to thicken the soup and stir in the other half whole.
- Chicken broth: Chicken broth adds the best flavor to this white bean soup. Substitute vegetable broth to make the soup vegetarian or vegan.
- Kale: Any hearty, leafy dark green like escarole or chard will do. Just be sure to remove the thick stems and tear into 1-inch pieces for spoon-sized bites that wilt down wonderfully.
- Yield: This recipe makes 4 hearty servings, 2 cups each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
bookmarked!!, I really like your site!
My stepmother use to make this when I was in highschool and I gobbled it up every time. I would like to add that she also threw broccoli rabbi in with the kale too. Delicious!
The perfect use for my Kale! So tasty!
So quick and easy. I’m not a fan of kale, but I will eat in this soup.
I also added garlic and crushed red pepper flakes as some commenters suggested. I recommend.
I added two soft boiled eggs to my leftovers for extra protein. Went great with the soup.
This is so delicious! I added garlic and red pepper flakes! I made it again and substituted one cup of water with coconut milk… yum yum yum!!!!
This looks like a great soup recipe! I’m concerned about the amount of sodium. If I were to use low sodium stock, rinsed the canned beans and omitted seasoning with salt would it taste totally bland?
Hi Joanne, I have updated the recipe and nutrition label to reflect low-sodium chicken broth and canned beans-no salt added. Those two changes reduced the sodium significantly. I think you may want to still add some salt, but blandness is really a personal preference. If you are used to watching sodium in your diet and don’t regularly pile on the salt, you might be perfectly happy with the soup as-is. Another thing you could do is try to boost the flavor with other non-salt ingredients. You could stir in some garlic while you sauté the onion, for example. Or add a bay leaf at the same time you add the chicken broth (maybe simmer it 30 minutes total to give the bay leaf time to work its magic). Or add other spices you like, or some red chili flakes if you like spicy food. There are a lot of ways you could add flavor without salt. I bet fresh lemon juice would taste good too. If you need more ideas just let me know! And take a look at the new nutrition label if you get a chance so you can see how the sodium has changed. Thank you! -Meggan
Awesome recipe! Reminds me of my mom’s Italian cooking. I used vegetable broth and it was delicious. I smushed more beans in the pot before I served the soup and that gave it a thicker texture. Delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much Nancy! A reminder of mom’s cooking is the best compliment you can give!! 🙂 -Meggan
Just made it stove top method. Delicious. I added a touch of garlic, just because we like garlic.
Nice easy recipe. thanks.
Is it better to do it in a slow cooker. If so, how do you go about doing that?
Thanks
Brian
Hi Brian, I don’t think it would be “better” in a slow cooker, but it would be just fine.
Here are the instructions:
1. Combine the olive oil, onions, mashed white beans, whole white beans, broth, water, salt, and pepper in your slow cooker and stir.
2. Cook on LOW for 7-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
3. During the last 20 minutes of cook time, stir in the kale and cook until tender.
Thank you! -Meggan
Love, Love, Love this soup. made it the other night for a quick meal with garlic bread. It was so quick and so easy and SO Delicious!! Thank you for the recipe. Making it again today.
This made my day! Thank you so much Susan! -Meggan