White Bean and Kale Soup

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.

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Total Time 30

Servings servings (2 cups each)

Calories 198kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Equipment

Mini Potato Masher

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

US Customary - Metric

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 1/2 teaspoon pepper).

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.

Nutrition