White Bean and Kale Soup

This White Bean and Kale Soup is full of vegetables & herbs and gets plenty of zing from white wine & sherry vinegar. A hearty, healthy winter meal!

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White Bean and Kale Soup

I just love making soups. There’s something so cozy and comforting about the whole process. It hasn’t exactly been soup weather around here, so last week when it dipped down into the 60’s, a stay-home, curl-up-on-the-sofa, soup night (and this white bean and kale soup) happened.

Why you’ll love this white bean soup

  • It’s hearty, but still kind of light. The beans and kale give this soup plenty of staying power, and it’s satisfying to eat. But at the end of the day, you’re still enjoying a bowl full of veggies.
  • It gets better on the second day. This white bean soup is great left over! Save a serving to take for lunch the next day.
  • It’s easy to make.  Just chop, sauté, and simmer, and dinner will be on the table.
  • It’s flexible. If you don’t have the exact veggies or herbs listed in the recipe, swap in what you do have. For example, I went out of my herb comfort zone here and used tarragon, but basil would also be delicious.

Herbs for White Bean & Kale Soup

What makes this White Bean and Kale Soup so good?

Its ingredients, of course:

  • Carrots, shallots, and garlic add veggie power and aromatic flavor to this soup.
  • Sliced mushrooms bring satisfying texture and umami flavor.
  • White wine and sherry vinegar make it zingy and bright.
  • White beans thicken this soup and bulk it up.
  • Kale brings myriad nutritional benefits & bright green color, and, with the white beans, it makes this soup a meal on its own.
  • And last but not least, plenty of herbs give it a wonderful fresh taste.

Enjoy with lots of crusty bread and some nice red wine…

adapted from Bon Appetit

5.0 from 10 reviews

White Bean and Kale Soup

 
This White Bean and Kale Soup is a healthy vegetarian weeknight dinner! We love it served with a shaving of cheese and slices of crusty bread.
Author:
Recipe type: Soup
Serves: 2 as a main
Ingredients
  • A few tablespoons olive oil
  • 2-3 chopped shallots (or about half an onion)
  • ½ cup chopped carrots
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 3 cups veggie broth (or more)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can white beans
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary
  • 1 small bunch kale, chopped, coarse parts of the stems removed
  • 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1 tablespoon chopped chives
  • Sea salt and fresh black pepper
  • A few pinches of red pepper flakes
  • Parmesan or pecorino cheese, shaved or grated, for garnish (optional)
  • Crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
  1. In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and a few pinches of salt and pepper, and cook until they’re beginning to turn translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add the carrots, garlic, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt and stir. Continue cooking until the mushrooms wilt down, another 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally (turn down the heat on your stove slightly if your vegetables start to burn).
  2. Add the white wine and stir to get the bits off the bottom of the pan, and cook until the liquid reduces, 5-7 minutes. Add the broth, white beans, and rosemary and bring to a boil. Add the kale. Reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or so.
  3. Mix in the sherry vinegar, tarragon, and chives. Toss in a few pinches of red pepper flakes. Taste and add more salt & pepper to your liking.
  4. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread.

 

 

39 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it):  

  1. Adrienne from loveandlemoms..com
    02.11.2025

    This soup was delicious and hearty. I made extra for a vegetarian friend recovering from surgery. Served it with sourdough toast – big hit!

  2. Chrissy
    12.06.2024

    Great soup. I TRIPLED the recipe for a small gathering. I added parsnips cut up like the carrots, and they added a lovely slightly sweet note. Highly recommend this adjustment if you like parsnips.

  3. Amber
    10.05.2024

    Tried it tonight. It was a hit with the family. The soup had a lot of depth which was nice. I definitely enjoyed it and plan on making it again!

  4. Susan Smith
    02.01.2024

    I made this to use up kale and mushrooms and I love white beans. I went to add the wine, grabbed the little box of wine from my fridge(I don’t drink wine so I buy little boxes or bottles for cooking), poured it in and… it was red wine! Ahhh! I finished the soup making anyway, and guess what! it tastes very good! I’m sure it would be better with white wine but still tastes good this way!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      02.02.2024

      Hi Susan, I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup! I’m sure the red wine was great 🙂

  5. Rachel Cantin
    12.16.2023

    Very much enjoyed this meal!!

  6. Rachel Samuelian
    01.26.2022

    Made this tonight and wish I had doubled the batch. It was so good, and I’m sad we have none left!

  7. Perri
    01.23.2021

    I am going to make this for Meatless Monday! I can’t wait!

  8. Judith
    11.23.2020

    Just made this soup for lunch on a cold, rainy Autumn day. Easy to make, this soup is both light and filling. I used dried tarragon; it gave the soup a surprising brightness. I might add leftover wild rice and have it for dinner! Thank you L&L for another winning recipe.

  9. Margaret
    01.31.2020

    How do I make this using dry white beans?

  10. robyn
    01.16.2020

    How many quarts does this yield? I need to make 8 quarts for a soup swap.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.17.2020

      Hi Robyn, this soup makes about 4-ish cups of soup, so I’d multiply the recipe by about 8 – just a heads up that you will need a very very large pot.

  11. Carolyn Rivers
    12.19.2016

    Hello can this recipe be frozen and reheated?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      12.19.2016

      Hi Carolyn – yes, it can!

  12. Connie
    05.31.2016

    Should the beans be drained?

    • Connie
      05.31.2016

      Oops pls disregard I didn’t think my question posted earlier.

  13. Connie
    05.31.2016

    Do you drain the beans?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      05.31.2016

      yes, drain and rinse the beans, then add them to the soup (thank you! I’ll correct this).

      • Connie
        05.31.2016

        Wow your fast thank you

  14. Kelly
    04.19.2016

    OMG! This is amazing!

  15. Sophia
    02.12.2015

    Can this be stored and reheated?

  16. Stacy
    12.14.2012

    The tarragon + white wine made this into something really special. We all liked it! I used dried cannellini beans and cooked them in the crockpot earlier in the day so they were ready to use when the time came.

    • jeanine
      12.15.2012

      so glad you liked it! I really loved the punch from the wine & tarragon too 🙂

  17. Allyn from lollingabout.wordpress.com
    12.13.2012

    We made this last night and were amazed at how good it was. The sherry vinegar really makes it bright and delicious.

    • jeanine
      12.13.2012

      I’m so glad you liked it!

  18. Tina from Www.thealbrecht.com
    12.10.2012

    I usually like to make a nice batch of soup early in the week for lunches. I haven’t gotten around to it yet this week but I think this is the recipe that I need to make!

  19. Crista
    12.07.2012

    I have an obsession with kale, therefore I am in love with this soup. 🙂

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I'm Jeanine, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and founder of Love & Lemons, a trusted recipe resource for millions of home cooks. I create fresh, easy, and delicious vegetarian recipes that celebrate seasonal ingredients and flavors.

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