30 Minute White Bean Soup with Kale
This creamy vegan white bean soup comes together in less than 30 minutes with pantry ingredients and fresh veggies. It’s the perfect quick and easy dinner when you’re looking for something hearty and satisfying!
You Will Love This
- It’s super quick and easy! We are talking 25 minutes from the stovetop to your dining room table! Canned beans, canned coconut milk, and chopped kale make this creamy, dreamy vegan recipe possible on even the busiest of weeknights. A classic mirepoix gets a quick sauté and then everything goes in the pot to simmer together.
- It’s filled with veggies but also very hearty and satisfying! This kale white bean soup is LOADED with vegetables and beans, but don’t let that fool you into thinking that it’s not going to fill you up and fuel you through the day! The coconut milk in this soup works in combination with the vegetables to give you an energizing meal that will leave you satisfied. Looking for more easy soup recipes – check these out!
- If you loved this kale soup recipe, be sure to check out my Creamy One Pot Vegan Chickpea Stew, my Easy One Pot Vegetable Stew, or my One Pot Creamy Vegan Mushroom Soup.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Carrot, Onion, Celery — AKA mirepoix — This is what gives this soup its delicious, aromatic flavor base. If you’re looking for a shortcut, most grocery stores now carry a pre-made mirepoix (diced onion, carrot, and celery mixture)! You’ll want about 3 cups total of this diced mixture so plan accordingly as the mirepoix seems to come in varying amounts depending on the store. This will save you at least 5 minutes of prep time!
- Garlic — Mincing garlic yourself releases all those oils for a super fresh, bright flavor, but I also totally get that sometimes you just need that jar. Sub ½ teaspoon of pre-minced garlic, or ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder, for each clove.
- Dried Herbs – Dried oregano, dried thyme, and rubbed sage are my favorites for this recipe. If you’re out of any of these herbs just substitute more of one of the others, or use Italian seasoning in place of all three. Dried rosemary or bay leaves would be a delicious addition as well!
- Veggie Broth — If you’re not worried about this soup being vegan, you can use chicken broth instead of veggie broth.
- White Beans — Use whichever white beans you prefer, or a mixture of three! Cannellini beans, Great Northern beans, baby lima, and even Navy beans will work well in this soup. You could also use kidney beans, chickpeas, or even pinto beans in place of white beans. Just stick with 3 (15-ounce cans) of whatever beans you’re using. Also if you’re using low-sodium beans, be sure to salt the soup to taste.
- Coconut Milk — Full-fat canned coconut milk is the magic in this creamy vegan soup and it does not make the soup taste like coconut. If you’re not worried about this being vegan, go ahead and use heavy cream instead. I’d use about 1/2 to 3/4 cups of heavy cream in place of the 15 oz. can of coconut milk.
- Fresh Kale — Did you know there are lots of different kinds of kale? Curly kale is the most common and will work fine in this white bean soup. However, Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale will work as well! Baby spinach will work in its place.
- Vinegar — Vinegar might seem like an odd addition to this recipe, but just trust me on this! A splash of vinegar is going to cut through the creaminess of the kale soup and make all the flavors sing! You can use white wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, white balsamic vinegar, or apple cider vinegar. If you don’t keep vinegar on hand, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice will work as well!
Instructions
Heat oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook, stirring frequently for 8 minutes until tender.
Add garlic, oregano, thyme, sage, and a large pinch of salt and pepper.
Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
Add vegetable broth to the pot.
Add white beans.
Add coconut milk.
Stir to combine.
If desired, remove about two cups of the soup mixture and blend in a high-speed blender or use an immersion blender. Return blended soup to the pot and bring everything to a simmer over medium-high heat (no need to boil).
Turn heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in kale and vinegar.
Season to taste with Kosher salt and black pepper.
Garnish with homemade croutons, fresh parsley, and vegan Parmesan cheese, and enjoy! Red pepper flakes are also a fun addition if you like it a little spicy!
Tip
- The coconut milk is optional (but highly recommended) in this recipe! If you prefer a more brothy and less creamy soup, feel free to leave out the coconut milk. Also, don’t worry – the soup won’t taste like coconut! The flavor of the coconut milk is really masked by the mirepoix and the myriad of dried herbs. It will impart just a tiny hint of sweetness, but you won’t actually taste the coconut flavor. If you don’t believe me, read the reviews! Coconut milk is one of my favorite ways to add creaminess to dairy-free soups without impacting the flavor. It’s much less labor intensive than cashew cream but it gives a similar effect!
Variations
This soup recipe is super forgiving, so feel free to switch up the ingredients based on what you’ve got on hand or what you need to use up in the fridge. I like to add:
- canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes
- diced baby yellow potatoes
- spicy Italian sausage (can use vegan if you want to keep the recipe vegan)
- cooked orzo pasta
- Parmesan rind (if you’re not worried about it being vegan)
Is white bean soup good for you?
I prefer not to refer to foods as good or bad, but this white bean soup is loaded with real, wholesome ingredients so you can feel good about eating it! It’s filled with veggies for fiber and has plenty of protein from the beans as well.
What is the thickener in white bean soup?
The secret to this creamy kale soup is full-fat canned coconut milk (which is naturally gluten-free)! It gives the soup a creamy, dreamy texture while still keeping it totally dairy free. Blending a portion of the soup also adds to the smooth, rich, creamy texture too! Instead of blending you could add a couple tablespoons of the cornstarch slurry to thicken it up as well!
What are the white Italian beans called?
Cannellini beans are a popular white bean in Italy. The term “white beans” is an umbrella term that refers to four varieties of beans including Cannellini, Great Northern, Navy, and baby lima beans. You can use any white bean you have on hand for this easy soup recipe!
Make Ahead, Storage, Freezing and Reheating
- Make Ahead: This white bean soup recipe is one of my favorite make-ahead meals! I love to throw a big batch together over the weekend and then I’ve got quick and easy lunches ready to go whenever I need them!
- Storage: Store leftover kale soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freezing: Freeze leftover soup in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
- Reheating: Reheat soup in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently until warmed through. You can also microwave the soup in 30-60 increments until warmed through. Be sure to season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.
Try these easy soup recipes next!
Did you love this recipe?
Please leave a 5-star rating and review below!
White Bean Kale Soup
This creamy vegan white bean and kale soup comes together in less than 30 minutes with pantry ingredients and fresh veggies. It’s the perfect quick and easy dinner when you’re looking for something hearty and satisfying!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 1 cup sliced carrot
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 3 (15 oz.) cans white beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz.) can full fat coconut milk
- 3 cups chopped kale
- 1 tablespoon vinegar (apple cider, white wine, red wine, balsamic)
- Kosher salt
- fresh cracked pepper
Garnish:
- homemade croutons
- fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat.
- Add onion, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring frequently for 8 minutes.
- Add garlic, oregano, thyme, sage and a large pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add veggie broth, white beans, and coconut milk to the pot. Stir to combine.
- If desired, remove about two cups of the soup mixture and blend in a high speed blender.
- Return blended soup to the pot and bring everything to a simmer over medium high heat.
- Turn heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Stir in kale and vinegar.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with croutons and fresh parsley and enjoy!
Notes
- Make Ahead: This white bean soup recipe is one of my favorite make ahead meals! I love to throw a big batch together over the weekend and then I’ve got quick and easy lunches ready to go whenever I need them!
- Storage: Store leftover kale soup in an airtight container for up to a week.
- Freezing: Freeze leftover soup in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
- Reheating: Reheat soup in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently until warmed through. Be sure to season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of soup
- Calories: 287
- Sugar: 4.1 g
- Sodium: 295.3 mg
- Fat: 14.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 32.2 g
- Fiber: 8.6 g
- Protein: 10.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
I made this last night – only added some cherry tomatoes & did use my immersion blender to slightly purée the beans. It was a huge hit with my husband & 3 twenty something kids who are home. Two of them added rotisserie chicken & we all loved the croutons on top. This is going to be a staple! My first recipe from you & can’t wait to try more vegan recipes!
I am SO glad to hear that the whole family enjoyed this one, Jennifer! And I love that everyone was able to customize it based on their own taste. Thank you so much for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
Yummmyummm!thank you I loved this soup. I added leeks instead of onions
Great idea! I bet the leeks added a ton of flavor! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Tammy. Thank you for leaving a review! 🙂
I made this for the first time about a month or so ago and it is definitely a legit recipe to add to your lineup. In fact, it’s so legit that while I was in the produce section today at the grocery store, the craving for this soup hit me and I was like “Yep! That’s on the menu this weekend!”
It’s simple to make, absolutely delicious, and super nutritious…what more could you want.
Thank you so much for your feedback, Eric! I really appreciate you taking the time to leave such a great review and I’m so glad that you’ve enjoyed this soup again and again!! It is one of our family’s favorites too 🙂
Today was a wet, cold and yucky kind of day. . . So, naturally an awesome day for soup!!! I made the soup and croutons tonight for dinner and it came out so good! ?? Even my hubby who is a meat eater all day everyday was pretty blown away!
Sounds like a perfect day for this white bean soup. And I love that your husband enjoyed it too!! Thank you for leaving a review, Jenny. I really appreciate it 🙂
Can frozen kale be used instead of fresh?
I think frozen kale would work okay in this recipe. Was it a fresh bag of kale that you froze yourself or did it come like a block of frozen spinach? I think either would work in a pinch, but definitely fresh or fresh-frozen would work best!
I was going to make another soup and then saw this recipe. I had already pre-soaked cashews so I used them instead of coconut milk. I blend the cashews with a cup of vegetable broth. Turned out great!
Cashew cream would be delicious in place of the coconut milk – what a great idea! Glad you were able to use what you had on hand and enjoyed this recipe, Kathy! Thanks for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
I’m not a kale fan, but decided to make this according to the recipe. I don’t taste ANY bitterness! Thanks for a yummy, and easy vegan soup my whole family loves!
Good on you for trying something new – that’s not always easy!!! I do agree; the flavor of the kale in this soup is delishhhh!! The way that it wilts I think helps to cut that bitterness and I think the richness from the coconut milk helps too! Thank you for leaving a review, Debi. I’m so glad that you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
I forgot to add the balsamic. But I did remember to add liquid smoke. This was a delicious recipe, Thank you. The liquid smoke make it taste like ham and white bean soup.
Liquid smoke would be a great addition – good idea! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Iva. Thanks for leaving a review!
This was so quick, easy, healthy, AND so super tasty! My husband and I loved this. Not only is it quick, easy, and vegan, but it’s also very budget friendly. Will definitely be checking this blog for more recipes ?
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, Rachel! Thank you so much for leaving a review!
Can this be modified for a crockpot?
Great question, Melanie! You could totally make this one in the crock pot! I’d recommend 3-4 hours on high or 5-6 hours on low!
So delicious’ Fantastic recipe for a newbie vegan!!
I am so glad to hear that, Amy! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this soup – especially this time of year. Thank you for leaving a review – I really appreciate it!
We’re not vegan, but this looked delish and didn’t disappoint. I followed the recipe pretty much except I doubled the carrots and was generous with the celery too. I did not blend anything as it was plenty thick and creamy as it was. New favorite. Very satisfying, comfort food.
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Kathy! It’s always fun to switch up family dinner even if you’re not following a vegan diet. Thank you for leaving a review – I really appreciate it 🙂
This is a fantastic soup- flavorful and easy to make. It wasn’t spicy enough for me so I added some chopped jalapeños (which could be served on the side) and I made cornbread croutons
Delicious!
Chopped jalapenos sound like a great addition – my partner would have loved that!! And CORNBREAD CROUTONS?!?!?!? YUM! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jane. Thank you for leaving a review 🙂
This soup was fantastic! I added a little garlic powder at the end, as well as salt to taste, and it was soooooo delicious. And healthy to boot! Well done 🙂
I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Emily! Thank you for leaving a review – I really appreciate it!
I just had my first spoonful and WOW so delicious!! The perfect soup for a rainy fall day 🙂
I am so glad that you’re loving this recipe, Emily! It IS perfect for rainy day!! Thanks for leaving a review – I really appreciate it!
This was delicious! Tastes better after sitting and thickening as it cools. I omitted the coconut milk just because I didn’t want the extra fat. I added a splash of unsweetened almond milk. I didn’t have three cans of cannelloni beans so I only added one. Then a substituted the other for a can of black eyed peas (beans) and butter beans. Yummy! Another tip was I took a hand held mixer and pulsed it a couple times to smash some beans and thicken. I will definitely make this again. Do you think this will freeze well in individual serving containers?
So glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Nancy! This soup does freeze well! Thank you for leaving a review – I really appreciate it!