Lemony Kale and White Bean Soup
A simple, flavorful recipe for kale and white bean soup, with lots of lemon, garlic, and herbs – perfect healthy, comfort food! Gluten free and vegetarian options.
A cozy kale and white bean soup with lemon
In the late afternoon, before the ever-earlier evenings steal the last bits of our luminous, Northern, blue light, I’ve been in the habit of taking the pup to the off-leash dog park near our house.
Yesterday, the Honey was home a bit early from work and we bundled up to go; me in thermal tights, a long sweater, down jacket, thick cashmere/wool socks, fleece boots, and double-wrapped scarf, him in jeans and a t-shirt.
We walked the perimeter of the park – a mile or so through tall grass, past fading, wild, blackberry bushes and overhanging lichen-flecked pines. The pup ran spastic, looping circles ahead of us, stopping every few yards to look back and make sure we were following. We’d hit the park a little later than usual, and with the sun quickly setting, had it mostly to ourselves. The air was still and chilly. Peaceful. The scent of pine linger-
“Noooooooo… not in the – ughhhhh.” The Honey sighed, defeatedly.
The pup had stopped. The mud puddle his paws stood planted in extended across both edges of the path, and looked at least a few inches deep. As if to signal with full certainty that this was not in fact an accident, he plopped down into it, legs outstretched, and happily wiggled, properly covering his entire belly in the dark, murky goo. He wallowed there, looking particularly pleased with himself, until we caught up to him, and ruined all of the glorious fun.
As we made our way back to the parking lot, the pup dripping with sludge water, and planned our tag-team, backyard, freezing water hose-off, I took some consolation in the fact that we had several clean dog towels, and, more importantly, dinner was already cooked and waiting for us. And it was this flavorful, nourishing, kale and white bean soup.
Why you’ll love this kale and white bean soup
The base of this white bean soup starts with quick caramelized onions, which are layered upon with garlic, lemon and dried herbs – rosemary, thyme and Greek oregano – before simmering away in a rich chicken stock. You’ll want to use the most flavorful stock you can find – or better yet make your own – as it forms a bulk of the soup’s flavor.
For time and convenience’s sake, I used canned (precooked) beans, but you could certainly substitute dried beans. Simply increase the volume of stock and cooking time. I generally prefer Lacinato kale – the more delicate, darker-hued, flatter-leafed, Italian variety – also sometimes called Tuscan kale or Tuscan cabbage. It can also be referred to as dinosaur kale, due to the bumpy, reptilian quality of the leaves, which, is probably my favorite moniker.
If kale isn’t your thing, try using milder greens. Spinach and Swiss Chard come to mind, but really any dark leafy green will be well suited to this lemony, garlicky soup.
Ingredients in this white bean and kale soup
This cozy Tuscan-inspired soup is easy and healthy, and you likely have all of the ingredients in your pantry right now. Here’s what you’ll need:
- olive oil, onion, and garlic: forms the base of our soup, and a lovely trifecta to build lots of flavor upon.
- butter: adds an extra layer of flavor. For a plant based version you can simply swap in olive oil or a vegan butter.
- herbs: aromatic rosemary, thyme, and oregano. You can also use fresh.
- lemon: fresh lemon juice adds such brightness. I always reach for Meyer lemons for added sweetness and flavor when available.
- chicken or vegetable stock: use a really good, rich stock for the best overall flavor. Homemade is even better if you have it.
- salt and pepper: just a pinch of each intensifies all the other flavors. My favorite salt is Diamond Crystal.
- cannellini beans: white beans are naturally creamy, and add heartiness to this otherwise veggie-filled soup. Use your favorite white bean here (cannellini, navy, great northern, etc.). Don’t worry about rinsing the beans. The extra starch helps naturally thicken the soup – but if you have trouble digesting beans you can always add that step.
- kale: adds freshness and nutritional value. I prefer the Lacinato variety, but you can use curly kale, spinach, or Swiss chard as well.
Find all the exact measurements and recipe instructions below.
For a creamier soup (without adding cream)
If you’d like a thicker, creamier soup, after adding the beans to the broth (but before the greens), blend together up to half of the soup in a high speed blender. Stir the blended soup back in and voila! The beans will make it extra creamy. No cream or milk or cheese required. (You can also use an immersion blender. Just be sure to leave some of the beans and veggies intact for texture).
Other healthy and delicious soup recipes you’ll love:
- Tomato, white bean, and kale soup
- Tuscan white bean and butternut squash soup
- Simple weeknight chicken ramen
- Ginger noodle soup with Swiss chard
If you make this kale and white bean soup, be sure to tag me on Instagram with the hashtag #forkknifeswoon and leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it! ★★★★★ Star ratings are especially helpful because they help others find my recipes too. xo, Laura
PrintLemony Kale and White Bean Soup
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
- Category: Soup, Savory
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A simple, flavorful recipe for kale and white bean soup, with lots of lemon, garlic, and herbs – perfect healthy, comfort food! Gluten free and vegetarian options.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large yellow or sweet onion, minced
- 1/2 Tbsp fresh garlic, crushed
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/8 tsp dried oregano
- 1 small lemon, juiced
- 4 cups (32 oz) rich chicken or vegetable stock
- kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 (15 oz) cans cooked cannellini beans, drained (not rinsed)
- 1–1/2 cups (loosely-packed) kale (or sub. spinach or Swiss chard), removed from rough stems and torn into small pieces
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent and just beginning to brown.
- Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two.
- Add the butter, and as it melts, stir in the herbs. Let cook for another minute or two until the onions are lightly golden.
- Add the lemon juice followed by the stock and stir to combine. Cover, and bring the stock to a boil, then turn the heat down to low, and let simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Add the white beans and torn kale leaves, and continue to simmer until warmed through, about 3-5 minutes. If using a more delicate green, such as spinach, add right before serving. Serve warm with crusty bread. Enjoy!!
Keywords: kale and white bean soup, lemon, garlic, herbs, easy, healthy soup, greens, cannelini beans
Updated on March 12, 2021.
Great soup! Healthy, very easy and quick to make! It’s tasty and healthy. In fact I am making it again tonight. Highly recommend!
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Carol!!
Loved! Used one carton (4cups) of chicken bone broth and one carton of veggie broth, a whole bunch of Dino kale, and just a little extra herbs. Even better the next day!!!
★★★★★
Yum! Thank you so much, Marilyn!!
Yum Yum Yummy! I make soup every week, 52 weeks a yr. The only other soup I’ve had with lemon as an ingredient is Greek Lemon Soup, a favorite. Now I have 2 soups tied for 1st place! I like how you deliberately slowly add the ingredients enabling the flavors to blend wonderfully. Love this. ❤️
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Linda!! Thrilled it’s become such a hit 🙂
Loooove this recipe. I make it almost every week, triple the recipe! Even so it never lasts very long 🙂
★★★★★
I’m so happy it’s become such a favorite! Thanks so much, Lydia!!
Wonderful comfort food made with simple pantry and in the fridge ingredients that can be whipped up in an instant. Love this.
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Cheryl!!
Used fresh herbs instead of dried. Delicious 😋
★★★★★
Thank you, Carole!! 🙂
Really yummy. So quick to make. I’m making again tonight!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Peggy!! 🙂
This souo was so easy to make and so delicious.
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Lucy!!
A quick and easy favorite, we love this soup! It’s perfect as is, but today I diced some butternut squash we had on hand into 1/2″ cubes, and tossed about 1 1/2 cups in along with the broth to simmer for 15 min. Just used 1 can of beans and the 1 1/2 c kale as recommended. Delicious!
★★★★★
Thanks so much, Carol! So happy it’s a hit 🙂
I am making this soup for the 4th time know, at least. It’s my weekday lunch (in with my favorite rotations) and it really just makes me fell very well nourished and revitalized! Sometimes, I have to admit, I feel like I cannot get it in my belly fast enough…lol! *Get In There :]*
~Thank you
★★★★★
Aww, love this! Thanks so much, Jessica! 🙂
Really like this soup – I make a few variations of white bean/kale/sausage soup and this one is in regular rotation. I enjoy how brothy it is, but do recommend adding the beans and kale a bit earlier – that way they have a chance to soften up more. I also sometimes like to smash some of the beans with the back of a spoon or with a potato masher to give the soup a bit more bulk.
Double this up and cook it low and slow the next day for a more concentrated flavor, and don’t forget the crusty bread to sop up the broth!
★★★★
Thank you, Andrea!! Smashing some of the beans for a creamier sauce is a great idea. And definitely agree that crusty bread along side is a key requirement 🙂
Delicious. I would make this again. I added mushrooms for additional texture but the recipe with its herbs, onion , beans ,kale , broth and lemon really stands on its own.
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Deborah!! Adding mushrooms sounds great!
The soup is so easy to make, and so flavorful! I only use one can of beans, and I still don’t feel deprived. I make my own veggie broth from scratch, and I crave this stuff! Sometimes I use kale and sometimes I use collard greens. Experiment with the different kinds of greens, for different flavors!
★★★★★
Loved this soup. Wanted to drink the broth. If white beans are not handy, use Garbanzos. I also added 1/2 tsp fennel seeds.
To make it more spicy, add 1/4tsp red pepper flakes.
★★★★★
I made this recipe tonight, and it turned out great. I added an entire bunch of kale, so I also put in some extra vegetable broth and olive oil. Since I’m trying to cut out dairy, I left out the butter. I will definitely make this again. Thank you so much for the recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you for sharing this recipe. It is such a quick, easy way to get leafy greens and beans in one meal. I used vegetable broth and an entire bunch of chopped kale – a little over 4 cups, so our soup was more leafy, but still delicious as promised.
★★★★★
Good recipe! I added a parmesan rind and some noodles. Next time I make it, I’m going to try a little bit of spice.
★★★
This was amazing! I used “Better than Buillon No-chicken” stock. Next time I will need to add more water/stock. I’m not sure what I did wrong but I seemed to have less soup compared to the contents of the soup. But I cannot wait to make this again! Thank you for this wonderful recipe 🙂
★★★★★
Made with addition of 1/2 tsp of toasted sesame seed oil (adds richness), more thyme and garlic and little more olive oil. Set overnite. Very good, taking to a vegan potluck (didn’t use butter😊)
★★★★★
That sounds delicious 🙂
Maybe this would be a good soup for someone with dietary restrictions, but it fell flat for us. I couldn’t taste any lemon or garlic and did not enjoy the kale bean combination. I saw all of the glowing reviews here and was excited to try it, but for someone who loves soups such as myself, I was not a fan of this one. I made no substitutions and followed the directions exactly.
★
Same, I made this tonight and it was very bland and the lemon flavor didn’t help, it’s missing levels of complexity. I wanted to like it!
As I mention in the post, because this is a weeknight soup and cooks so quickly, much of the flavor relies on using a rich chicken or vegetable stock. There just isn’t time to develop much depth flavor otherwise. I’m curious if you could share which brand you used?