White Bean and Kale Soup is a one-pot, hearty, vegetarian comfort in a bowl. Packed with plant-based protein from quinoa and white beans.
author’s note
Comfort Food Without the Heavy Feeling!
When the weather turns cold, I always find myself reaching for big bowls of soup. One night, I had leftover kale in the fridge and a couple of cans of white beans in the pantry, so I decided to throw them into a pot with some quinoa. I wasn’t expecting much, but the flavor and heartiness completely won me over.
Now it’s one of those recipes I keep coming back to whenever I need something quick, filling, and warming.
My kids especially love scooping it up with bread, and I love that it’s loaded with veggies but still feels like comfort food.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Swaps & Tips |
|---|---|
| Olive Oil | Any neutral oil like avocado or grapeseed works |
| Carrots, Onion & Celery | Save time with pre-chopped grocery store packs |
| Tomato Paste | Don’t skip cooking it briefly—it makes a difference |
| Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes | Regular canned tomatoes work; San Marzano is great |
| Quinoa | Rice or farro can be swapped in |
| White Beans | Try Great Northern, navy, or even chickpeas |
| Kale | Baby spinach can be stirred in at the end |
| Lemon Juice | A splash of red wine vinegar works too |
Quick Tip
Freshly chopped flat leaf Italian parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese makes the perfect finishing touch to this white bean and kale soup.
How To Make White Bean And Kale Soup
- Cook Veggies: Heat olive oil, then cook veggies until soft.
- Add Flavor: Stir in tomato paste and dried herbs; cook briefly to bring out flavors.
- Add Broth & Quinoa: Pour in tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, and quinoa. Bring to a boil.
- Finish with Beans & Kale: Stir in beans and kale, cook until quinoa is fully cooked.
- Adjust & Serve: Remove bay leaves, add lemon juice if desired, and top with Parmesan and parsley.
Variations
Switch Things Up
- Make it Thinner: Add extra broth if you prefer a lighter soup consistency.
- Boost the Protein: Stir in shredded rotisserie chicken if you’re not vegetarian.
- Switch the Greens: Spinach, Swiss chard, or collard greens all work beautifully.
Leftover White Bean and Kale Soup?
This soup thickens as quinoa expands and tastes great but is best within 2–3 days.
It doesn’t freeze well, as it keeps absorbing liquid and becomes too thick.
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White Bean and Kale Soup
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 cup diced carrots 2 large carrots
- 1 cup diced onion 1 small onion
- 1 cup diced celery 3 celery stalks
- 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic 4 cloves
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes I love San Marzano or Muir Glen
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 cups vegetable stock or broth; can use chicken stock/broth if not vegetarian
- 3/4 cup white quinoa see note 1
- 1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans or Great Northern white beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups coarsely chopped kale loosely packed
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice optional
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Chopped fresh parsley optional
Instructions
- Add 3 tablespoons olive oil to a large cast-iron pot. Heat to medium, and once oil is hot, add diced carrots, diced celery, diced onion, and minced garlic. Add a tiny pinch of salt and cook, stirring often, until veggies are tender, about 7–9 minutes. Add in tomato paste and seasonings (dried parsley, dried oregano, dried basil, dried rosemary, dried thyme, pepper, Italian seasoning, and salt.) Cook and stir until fragrant, another 30 seconds.
- Still over medium heat, add both cans of undrained, fire-roasted diced tomatoes and stir 1 minute. Add in the 2 bay leaves and rinsed quinoa. Stir and add in vegetable stock. Increase heat to high and bring the soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer 15 minutes. (Soup should maintain a simmer but not a boil). Stir occasionally.
- After 15 minutes, add in drained and rinsed beans and kale. Stir and cook 3–4 more minutes or until quinoa has fully “popped” and kale is softened. Finish the soup with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and, if desired, 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Remove bay leaves.
- Garnish bowls of soup with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley, if desired.
- Slow Cooker Instructions: Follow step one, then transfer everything from that pot to a 6-quart slow cooker. Add in diced tomatoes, stock, rinsed quinoa, drained and rinsed beans, and bay leaves. Cook on high 2–3 hours or low 3–5 hours or until quinoa has popped and veggies are tender. Stir in kale, olive oil, and lemon juice. Remove bay leaves. Adjust salt and pepper. Serve in bowls garnished with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Yay!! I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed this and the prep time was quick 🙂 Thanks for the comment!
I tried it with white kidney beans instead. Really delicious and the Parmesan topping is perfect!
Awesome! So glad to hear you enjoyed this! Thanks for the comment Erik!
Yummy soup!! Mine didn’t look quite the same as the picture, the broth is much less clear.
If anyone is interested, here are the nutrition facts from calorie counter’s recipe analysis (based on 6 servings) – I’m assuming 2 cans meant 2, 15.5 oz cans. That’s the only thing that I was a tad confused about in the recipe, but I couldn’t find smaller cans than 15.5 oz so I’m guessing that’s what she meant. The broth seems to be total ounces, which is why I got stuck on how many ounces of beans. 🙂
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 385 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories 620
Calories from Fat 35
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3.9g 6%
Saturated Fat 0.7g 3%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 534mg 22%
Potassium 2539mg 73%
Total Carbohydrates 107.6g 36%
Dietary Fiber 38.9g 156%
Sugars 4.8g
Protein 41.9g
Vitamin A 106% • Vitamin C 84%
Calcium 28% • Iron 78%
Nutrition Grade A
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet
Nutritional Analysis
Good points
Very low in saturated fat
Very low in cholesterol
Low in sugar
Very high in dietary fiber
High in iron
High in manganese
High in magnesium
Very high in phosphorus
High in potassium
High in vitamin A
High in vitamin C
I’m really excited about this recipe. Any idea how many calories would be in a serving? Thanks!
This sounds perfect for a night like tonight!
Hey there Chelsea – love the looks of this recipe and can’t wait to try it. The photo is beautiful! I printed it out and its going on my shopping list for today! Thanks for sharing! 🙂 I’ll stop back by and let you know how it went.
YUM! This sounds SO delicious! I just purchased some Kale and Quinoa soup at Trader Joe’s, but I would love to use this recipe to make my own!!
Your soup looks super delicious! And perfect for all this cold weather lately!
This soup looks amazing Chelsea! I love hearty soups like this
Soup is pretty much my favorite thing in the world. I could live off of soup and usually do in some way or another by making a massive batch of it to eat throughout the week. This recipe has been added to next week’s menu!