Italian white bean soup with kale recipe is brimming with fresh herbs, savory flavors, and enticing textures that deserve the eager ladling of second bowls. This quick, easy, and delicious soup is vegan, nutritious, and made with no added oil.
Table of Contents
⭐Recipe Highlights
This soup recipe is a quick take on Tuscan white bean soup. This version is focused on loading up on veggies and whole food nutrients disguised in luxurious flavors. It's also about what you can do with a large pot, sharp knife, and possibly a can opener. Even if you like to take your time prepping, you can easily make this in under 45 minutes. And if you use a food processor, much quicker.
Finally, this soup is an excellent example of using a few easy tricks (like sauteing without oil) to make something that tastes great and makes you feel great. Gusto eating!
📋 Key Ingredients & Substitutions
White Beans – White cannellini beans are just a variety of white beans you can use for this yummy soup. Navy beans or white kidney beans are also good choices. If you start with dried beans, cook them separately. Whatever type of white beans you use, you'll need about 3 cups, which equals 2 cans.
Shallots – Sweet, mellow shallots are used instead of more traditional onions (which you can also use). Use ½ a yellow onion as a quick substitute.
Garlic – Fresh garlic, pressed or minced, brings the best zing of spicy garlic, so grab 2 fat garlic cloves. Don't rush out if you don't have them. Add ½ a teaspoon of garlic powder as a substitute.
Carrots – You'll need 2 or 3 carrots peeled and thinly sliced. You can also dice them small. This is a quick-cooking soup, so don't make them chunky. Think tender but toothsome.
Fresh Thyme – A few sprigs of fresh thyme or a tablespoon of thyme leaves are the first of our fresh herbs. Here's an easy trick – add the sprigs and pull out the stems after cooking. It doesn't get easier than that. Use 1 teaspoon of dried thyme as a substitute.
Fresh Rosemary – You can use the thyme trick for a sprig of fresh rosemary. The dry equivalent is ⅓, which is 1 teaspoon. Or aim for 1 tablespoon of rosemary leaves.
Vegetable broth – One secret to great vegetable soups is using a tasty broth. You can also find flavorful vegetable stock cubes or vegan chicken stock. If you use the cubes, consult the package for how much to mix with 4 cups of water.
Kale – This soup is an excellent place for kale. If you use frozen kale, thaw it first and press the moisture from it before adding it to the soup. Go kale wild if you can, and try out lacinato kale (the dark green kind) or different types of Italian kale if they're available. Fresh spinach can also be used. If you use baby spinach, you can add it straight from the bag. For larger leaves, pull off the thicker stems and roughly chop them.
Lemon juice – Nothing brightens this soup, especially kale, better than fresh lemon juice. Use half a fresh lemon and cut the other half into wedges to serve as a garnish.
Fresh basil – Because it is not a hearty herb like rosemary and thyme, basil is added at the end of cooking. You can also save some back as a garnish.
🔪 Pro Tips
Prep is the key. Have all the ingredients prepared before you start the soup. This recipe goes quickly, so you must be ready for the next steps.
Sweating the shallots is super easy, and there's no oil involved. A Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot makes the process easier, but it's not required. Just keep the heat low and let the shallots cook in vegetable broth. Don't skip this step - it builds the foundation of the flavor.
After the shallots are ready, increase the temperature to medium heat and add the garlic alone. Stir it for 30 seconds. This releases the sugar in the garlic.
Cooking trick. Add the rest of the vegetable broth first. Then use a wooden spoon to gently remove any shallots or garlic sticking to the bottom of the pan. Use this trick anytime you make recipes that start with cooking onions and then broth with other ingredients.
The rest of the cooking is a breeze. Add everything except the lemon juice and basil. Simmer the soup for at least 15 minutes, so the kale softens. If you go over 15 minutes, no worries at all.
Basil is considered a delicate herb. For this reason, it is added at the end of cooking. Or use it as a garnish for those large bowls you are dishing up.
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
If you want to take this soup from broth-based to creamy, use a food processor or blender to puree a cup of the beans with 2 cups of broth. Add this to the soup when you add the rest of the broth.
Although fresh herbs add fantastic flavor if you need to substitute with dry, use a measure of ⅓ dry to fresh herbs. In place of fresh basil, you can use fresh parsley, which is usually readily available at most grocery stores. Another option is buying a fresh herb mix (Italian herb mix) with various herbs. Use them all if you like. That bay leaf will only make the soup more flavorful.
If you add a can of diced or crushed tomatoes to this recipe, cut the amount of broth by 1 cup (you may need to adjust this). You can also add chopped fresh tomatoes or a tablespoon of tomato paste. All these additions will create a flavor different from the original but still quite delicious.
🥄 Serving Ideas
Tuscan bean soup makes an excellent lunch or dinner with a side of crusty bread. Our absolute favorite is to top it with vegan parmesan cheese. Add a quick side salad, and dinner for four is on the table in no time.
To enhance this basic soup recipe, consider vegan sausage, or add smoky bacon bits to switch up the flavor. You can add more vegetables, such as diced zucchini or celery if you have some to use.
🌡️ Storage and Freezing
Cool the soup to room temperature and add it to an airtight container. It keeps in the fridge for 5 days. You can also freeze it for 3 months.
🥗 Sides with White Bean Soup
Italian white bean soup
Quick and easy Italian white bean soup with kale recipe is brimming with fresh herbs and savory flavors for a delicious vegan soup experience.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- ½ cup diced shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- 2 cups sliced carrots
- 4 cups chopped kale
- 2 cans (15 ounces) of cannelloni beans (or other white beans)
- 1 lemon, juiced
- ½ cup fresh basil, chopped
- salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sweat the shallots. Add ¼ cup of vegetable broth to a medium soup pot and bring it to a low simmer. Add the shallots and sweat them for 10 minutes to release their flavor.
- Sauté the garlic. Increase the heat to medium and stir in the garlic. Stir it around for 30 seconds.
- Deglaze the pot. Add the remaining broth and use a wooden spoon to clear the bottom of the cooking pot.
- Simmer the soup. Stir in the thyme, rosemary, carrots, kale, and beans. Bring the pot to a slow simmer and cook the soup for 15 minutes until the kale is soft.
- Finish the soup. Turn off the heat. Remove the thyme and rosemary stems before adding the lemon juice and basil. Taste and add salt and/or black pepper if desired.
- Garnish. Garnish with lemon wedges, additional basil, or vegan parmesan. Serve piping hot.
Notes
- For every 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs, substitute with ⅓ a tablespoon of dried.
- If you make this recipe with frozen kale or spinach, thaw it first and press out any remaining moisture. You can also use fresh spinach.
- Store leftover soup for 5 days in the refrigerator or freeze it.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 128
- Sugar: 7.1 g
- Sodium: 601.1 mg
- Fat: 0.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 26.5 g
- Protein: 5.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Aloe Vera Universe
I tried this Soup the other day ! Next time i'll send you pictures.
Thanks a lot for the Share !
Your TribeMate
Rebecca Van Der Grool V.D.R.
Aloe Sport Global
Denise
Fantastic. I'd love to see pictures. That makes it 'real' 🙂