Vegan White Bean & Kale Soup

About This White Bean & Kale Soup

This vegan Tuscan soup or, more simply, white bean and kale soup is easy to make! Serve with some fresh whole grain bread (gluten-free if that’s your jam) and use it to sop up every last drop!

I had a couple of cans of butter beans lying around (yes I use canned beans sometimes!) and a gorgeous bunch of fresh kale and the pair inspired this incredible soup. 

Ingredients You’ll Need

White Beans – I use butter beans (also known as lima beans) but you can use Cannellini, navy, or great northern beans.

Kale – Curly or Lacinato kale works best but you can also use Swiss chard or baby spinach.

Herbs – Using fresh rosemary and thyme really adds something special to this vegan tuscan soup but you easily swap it for the dried versions and it will still be amazing. 

Vegetable broth – I like to use my own broth (recipe in The Plant-Based Cookbook) that I make with veggie scraps and without salt. If using cartoned broth, go for brands labeled “no-added sodium” or “low-sodium”.

How To Make This Recipe

Making this vegan white bean and kale soup is easy! You sauté the veggies and herbs in water, add the beans and broth and simmer for 30 minutes. Finish with some kale, nutritional yeast, and lemon juice.

But you have 2 options:

  • You can blend a portion of the soup to make it thick and creamy (mmmm). This is what you see in the pictures. 
  • You can leave it as is for a clearer more broth-y soup. 

Equipment You'll Need

  • Soup pot
  • Blender or immersion blender, which is optional. 

Tips, Tricks & How To Simplify

This is a simple soup but here are some easy ideas on how to make preparation as seamless and straightforward as possible. 

Before starting this vegan white bean and kale soup:

  • measure out spices and put in a small dish
  • cut and chop all veggies
  • add greens a few minutes before serving

Health Notes

Kale! –  A famous leafy green that is full of anti-oxidants, and cancer-fighting, inflammation-reducing phytonutrients. Include kale in your diet wherever you can in both raw and cooked forms. 

Beans – Beans are nutritional powerhouses! Fiber, protein, antioxidants! I like to cook my beans from scratch most of the time but for this tuscan-inspired soup I was in a hurry and used up some emergency cans of butter beans I had in the pantry. Try to have beans at least once a day!

Vegan White Bean & Kale Soup

Author : Ashley Madden
Prep Time: 45 mins
Servings: 4
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mediterranean
5 from 5 votes
A white bean and kale soup inspired by the deep bowls of delicious soup in Tuscany. This soup is easy to make and doesn't require too much simmering making it ideal for a quick dinner.

Equipment

  • Blender or Immersion Blender (optional)

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large yellow onions diced
  • 3 large celery stalks diced
  • 2 large carrots diced
  • 6 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 heaping tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1½ teaspoons dried thyme
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary leaves (removed from the stem and roughly chopped) or 1½ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • Pinch red pepper flakes more if you like it spicy
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 grinds black pepper
  • 3 cups cooked or canned white beans (cannellini, great northern or butter beans), drained and rinsed (2x15 ounce cans)
  • 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 2 cups finely chopped kale
  • 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste

Instructions
 

  • In a large soup pot, sauté the onion, celery, and carrot with ¼ cup water for about 10 minutes, adding water as needed to prevent burning or sticking.
  • Now add the garlic, thyme, rosemary sprigs (or the dried versions) as well as red pepper flakes, bay leaf, black pepper. Stir and cook for another minute.
  • Now add the beans and vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, stir in the nutritional yeast and turn the heat off.
  • Remove 3 to 4 cups of the soup and place in a blender and blend until smooth. Return the blended soup to the pot and stir to combine. You can also use an immersion blender and blend about half the soup. This gives the soup a slightly thicker texture. Stir in the kale and lemon juice and let sit for a few minutes until the kale wilts.
  • Taste and reseason with salt and pepper as needed. Divide among bowls and enjoy (with some crusty bread if possible!).
Did you make this recipe? Tag @riseshinecook on Instagram or hashtag it #riseshinecook

18 Comments

  1. Reply

    Jilska Perera

    February 5, 2021

    5 stars
    I just made this soup last night for myself and the residents in my senior home. It was easy to make and so delicious! Everyone liked it, even my picky eaters. I will be making this again. Thanks for this delicious recipe.

    • Reply

      Ashley Madden

      February 5, 2021

      This might be my favorite comment ever! Hello to all your wonderful residents! Thanks so much for letting me know they enjoyed it Jilska! Take care!
      xo

      Ashley

  2. Reply

    Joyce King

    April 24, 2021

    OMG…I made this soup a couple of days ago and it was absolutely delicious. This is a recipe that I will definitely be making again. What is a vegan friendly bread I can try when I make this soup again? Thank you.

    • Reply

      Ashley Madden

      April 25, 2021

      YAY! So awesome Joyce! We love this soup too! For vegan-friendly bread, you can use a sprouted bread like Ezekial or Silver Hills. Or you can also ask a bakery if they have 100% whole wheat bread or sourdough (bakeries usually have some whole-grain bread that they don’t add a bunch of extra stuff to). If you need gluten-free, I serve this with the Amazing Whole Grain Bread from The Plant-Based Cookbook! I have a great recipe for spelt bread as well if you’d like me to send it to you!
      Thanks for your feedback!
      xo
      Ash

  3. Reply

    Margaret

    September 28, 2021

    5 stars
    This soup was delicious and one I’ll make often. I don’t have an immersion blender but used a potato masher to thicken a bit, which worked okay. Thank you!

    • Reply

      Ashley Madden

      September 29, 2021

      What a great idea, Margaret! I’ll make note of this! Thanks for trying and letting me know you enjoyed it 🙂

      Ashley

  4. Reply

    Emilie

    September 28, 2021

    5 stars
    Just made this for supper, and it’s just lovely! I had some kale from a farmer’s market, and thought of white bean/kale soup, and came across your site. Thank you – looking forward to checking out more of your recipes.

    • Reply

      Ashley Madden

      September 29, 2021

      Thanks, Emilie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Farmer’s market kale is the best! I also swap in swiss chard when I come across it! Take care and thanks for your feedback!

      Ashley

  5. Reply

    Alison anderson

    May 24, 2022

    What is nutritional yeast?

    • Reply

      Ashley Madden

      June 6, 2022

      It’s a yeast grown on molasses. It’s not related to yeast made to make bread or brew beer. It comes as yellow flakes and has a cheesy taste. You can find it in most healthy sections of grocery stores and in almost all health food stores! Bob’s Red Mill is my favorite brand! I hope this helps!

      Ashley

  6. Reply

    Victoria

    August 30, 2022

    Absolutely amazing soup! Really delicious 😋 After making this and some cookies from this website, I went and purchased the book. Can’t wait to try more of Ashley’s recipes!

    • Reply

      Ashley Madden

      September 5, 2022

      Thanks so much, Victoria! I hope you enjoy the book, definitely report back!
      -Ash

  7. Reply

    Nina

    January 16, 2023

    Thank you for the fabulous recipe.. 👏👏👏. I have just stumbled upon your blog. Do you have a metric conversion button on your recipes? I don’t use cups here (UK) it’s metric or pounds and ounces. Also, a suggestion a conversion chart for serving size would be really beneficial to upscale or downscale portion sizes. I will look at your cook book on Amazon UK. Are the measurements for the recipes in cups in the book? Stay safe….

    • Reply

      Ashley Madden

      January 16, 2023

      Hi Nina! Thanks for the feedback. Unfortunately I don’t have a metric conversion button but I am hoping to add it soon. The Plant-Based Cookbook isn’t in weight either but my next cookbook coming in June is written with metric and imperial measurements.YAY! I’ll be sending out more info about it soon on my newsletter list 🙂 Please sign up to get details on when it will be available in the UK.

      Ashley

  8. Reply

    Cherie Miller

    September 29, 2023

    5 stars
    I made this soup tonight for a couple whose wife is having treatments for cancer. I have never had a cookbook where I can say the recipes are all delicious. You have a talent for being able to cook healthy and have it taste good. I have never had a cookbook I can say that about! I never made this soup recipe, but since I have confidence in your recipes I made it tonight and it did not disappoint!

    • Reply

      Ashley Madden

      October 3, 2023

      What a kind message Cherie, thanks so much for writing a comment. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the cookbook and sharing the recipes with others. Stay in touch 🙂

  9. Reply

    Lindsey

    February 17, 2024

    5 stars
    Delish! I added 2 tbsp of soaked cashews to my blender right along with the blended portion of the soup for an extra creamy version. So yummy!! Thanks for a great recipe!

    • Reply

      Ashley Madden

      February 18, 2024

      Thanks Lindsey! The cashew addition sounds delicious!

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