Vegan White Bean Soup with Kale
We are in full-on quarantine mode here at House Macheesmo and this Vegan White Bean Soup with Kale is on my mind. It’s healthy, hearty, and easy to make even with canned beans.
Somehow my 4-year old has made it this entire pandemic without any sort of quarantine. She has been in her normal daycare this entire time (minus a few weeks at the beginning last spring). Her daycare has done an incredible job, but COVID finally caught up to them and they had to close the center for a bit.
Luckily, it appears that we dodged it (we are about halfway through quarantine), but good soup is most necessary in these cold days.
Canned Or Dried Beans for Soup
You can honestly use either canned or dried beans for this soup. If you use dried beans, I’d recommend soaking them overnight and then adding them to your pot after you saute the vegetables.
The dried beans will need longer to cook and you should add an extra few cups of liquid to make sure they have enough to cook.
For a quicker weeknight version though, I just use canned beans for this soup. Three cans is about right and I like to drain and rinse mine. Some people recommend using the liquid from the cans in the soup, but I like my soup base a little cleaner so I always drain it off.
Making the White Bean Soup
This soup is easy to stir together and I like how hearty and healthy it is. While I’m far from a vegan, it feels good to have some veg-packed meals at the ready.
I keep my carrots and celery in decent chunks for this soup. This keeps them from falling apart as they cook.
Once those have cooked for a few minutes, you can add the spices along with the white beans and broth. I added some fresh rosemary as well, but you can skip it if you don’t have it or do a pinch of dried rosemary.
Let that simmer for about 20 minutes which should be long enough for the vegetables to soften.
As an optional step for this soup, remove a few cups of the soup the blend it until smooth. Then add it back into the pot. This will create a thicker, creamier base for the soup.
If that’s too much work, it’s fine! Just leave it chunky!
Next, add in the kale and you are almost done!
Once the kale has wilted for a few minutes, season the white bean soup with a dash of soy sauce, salt, and pepper and you are ready to serve it.
Big chunks of crusty bread is all you need to serve alongside the soup!
I love how chunky and delicious this vegan white bean soup was. Believe it or not, even my kids were into dipping the bread into the soup and picking out the veggies they liked.
Hopefully you aren’t in quarantine, but no matter what you should serve up this warming soup during these cold days!
Vegan White Bean Soup with Kale
- Serves:
- Serves 6.
- Prep Time:
-
15 mins
- Cook Time:
-
45 mins
- Total Time:
- 1 hr
This hearty white bean soup has loads of healthy vegetables including kale, carrots, and white beans. Serve with lots of crusty bread!
Ingredients
Show Directions
- In a sturdy pot, like a dutch oven, over medium heat, add olive oil along with onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 4-5 minutes until vegetables start to soften.
- Add in garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary, bay leaf, and drained and rinsed white beans. Add vegetable stock and bring to a slight simmer. Cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables are soft.
- Optionally, remove 2-3 cups of the soup and transfer it to a blender. Blend until smooth and return to the pot. This will thicken the soup. You can skip this step if you want a chunkier soup.
- Add chopped kale to the soup and let cook for a few minutes to wilt the kale. Season soup with soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve soup with lots of crusty bread.
Leftover soup keeps well in the fridge for 4-5 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop. Soup freezes well also. Store in a freezer-safe container for three months.