White Bean and Kale Soup

5 from 9 votes

This one-pot White Bean and Kale Soup is a hearty, vegetarian meal full of plant-based protein from quinoa and white beans. You can also toss in some shredded chicken if you want!

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Total Time45

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: White Bean and Kale Soup

Servings: servings

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $8.35

Equipment

Large cast-iron pot

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

US - Metric

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.

Notes

Note 1: If the quinoa isn’t already rinsed (it will say on the package if it is), add it to a fine mesh sieve and rinse under cold water. This removes the saponin coating, which can cause quinoa to taste bitter.

Storage: Soup will continue to thicken as the quinoa expands, though I still think it tastes great. This soup is best eaten within 2–3 days. It does not freeze well; the soup continues to absorb liquid and gets overly bloated.

Nutrition