Bean and Kale Soup with carrots, celery, onion, kale and beans cooked in an Italian seasoned broth is a delicious, filling “meatless” meal!
Today I want to share a recipe I found online a while ago and adapted to suit our taste buds. It is a delicious meal that is not only delicious, but also filling and meatless.
It is so yummy that even if you are not a vegetarian, you will enjoy it! I know we sure do (and we are meat-lovers at heart!
The recipe is versatile because you can go the easy route and use store bought canned beans OR you can pre-cook another type of dried beans in an Instant Pot. I have included both in the instructions.
All in all, this is a delicious healthy recipe to make and enjoy any time of the year! Here’s how to make bean and kale soup.
Scroll Down For A Printable Recipe Card At The Bottom Of The Page
Let’s Talk About The BEANS
For this recipe beans are one of the main stars! You can use either canned beans OR you can prepare dried beans, whichever you prefer or have available. Both are equally wonderful in this bean and kale soup!
TIP: Want the quickest and easiest way? Use two (15.5-oz.) cans of cannellini beans that have been rinsed and drained. EASY PEASY!
However, I LOVE using a 10-ounce bag of “15 bean soup mix” (see below), commonly found in grocery stores. It means a longer prep time, but I enjoy having different colors and varieties of beans in this soup (my photos below reflect this).
When I use this dried bean mix for the soup, I make the beans ahead of time in my Instant Pot, which make it convenient for me to add them later when needed.
To do this, add the dry, rinsed beans to the inner pot, then cover them with 4 Cups of water. Cook on HIGH pressure for 40 minutes, then let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes.
Once done, drain the colorful and flavorful mixture of beans and add them to the soup recipe later when they are called for. It’s pretty simple!
Make The Soup
In a large soup pot, heat extra virgin olive oil on medium heat until the oil is hot, but not smoking. Add chopped onion, sliced celery and carrot. Cook the veggies for 5-6 minutes or until they have softened slightly.
Add minced garlic, thyme, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Continue cooking for one more minute, stirring often so the garlic doesn’t burn. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Now add vegetable broth, tomato paste, water and the drained beans (whichever kind you’re using) to the pot. Stir well to combine.
Bring the soup to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Stir the soup every few minutes and smash some of the beans in the pot slightly, because this helps to thicken the bean and kale soup.
Finish Making The Soup
After 15 minutes, the soup should be a little bit thicker, and the veggies should be quite tender. Now it’s time for the final step for this soup.
Add the juice of one lemon and a bunch of kale (de-stemmed and torn into smaller pieces) to the soup. Cook the soup for 3-4 more minutes.
As it cooks, the kale will wilt from the heat and reduce greatly in volume. Once the kale has wilted and the soup is fully heated through, it is ready to be served.
Serve The Bean And Kale Soup
To serve, ladle the bean and kale soup into individual bowls while hot. Garnish each serving with finely grated Parmesan cheese (optional, but good) and serve immediately.
The grated Parmesan cheese will melt slightly from the heat of the soup and will add a great pop of additional flavor to the soup, so don’t skip the cheese, if possible!
I hope you and those you love will really enjoy this delicious bean and kale soup as much as we do. It’s a great recipe I am glad to have found and trust you will feel the same way.
Thanks for stopping by, and I invite you to come back again soon for more family friendly recipes. Take care, may God bless you, and have a great day.
Looking For More SOUP Recipes?
You can find ALL of my recipes in the Recipe Index, which is located at the top of the page. I have LOTS of fantastic soup recipes to choose from, including:
- Lentil Potato Soup
- Hearty Minestrone Soup
- Creamy Avgolemono Soup
- Creamy Butternut Squash Bisque
- Chicken Noodle Soup
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Recipe Adapted From: Lena Abraham, via delish.com on 12-21-2018
↓↓ PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW ↓↓
Bean and Kale Soup with carrots, celery, onion, kale and beans cooked in an Italian seasoned broth is a delicious, filling "meatless" meal!
- 1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- ½ medium yellow onion peeled/ finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot peeled, chopped small
- 3 cloves garlic peeled, minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 31 ounces canned cannellini beans (two 15.5 oz. cans) rinsed/drained (SEE NOTE BELOW)
- 1 medium lemon (juice of)
- 1 bunch kale torn in small pieces (stems discarded)
- Parmesan cheese (OPTIONAL) for garnish
INSTANT POT: Rinse a bag of "15 bean soup mix" dried beans. Add beans to the inner pot. Cover beans with 4 cups of water. Cook on HIGH pressure for 40 minutes, then let pressure naturally release for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside until needed in soup.
CANNED BEANS: Drain and rinse canned beans; set aside until needed in soup.
In a large soup pot, heat olive oil on medium heat until oil is hot, but not smoking. Add onion, celery and carrot. Cook, stirring often for 5-6 minutes, or until they have softened slightly. Add minced garlic, thyme, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Continue cooking for 1 minute, stirring often so garlic doesn't burn. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Add vegetable broth, tomato paste, water and drained beans (whatever type you use) to the pot. Stir well to combine. Bring soup to a gentle simmer; cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Smash some of the beans with the back of a spoon (this helps thicken the soup).
Add lemon juice and kale to the soup. Cook 3-4 more minutes. As it cooks, kale will wilt and reduce in volume. Once soup is heated through, it's ready to serve.
Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish each serving with finely grated fresh Parmesan cheese (optional, but good) and serve immediately. Enjoy!
NOTE: Prep time does not include the time necessary for pre-cooking dried beans in an Instant Pot (as that is optional). If you want to use the "15 bean soup mix", you will only need one, 10-ounce bag.
Caloric calculation was made using two cans of cannellini beans.
Here’s one more to pin on your Pinterest boards!