Hearty Garlic White Bean Soup Kale

This garlic white bean soup kale recipe is mostly hands-off and easy to pull together from pantry staples. Hearty navy beans simmer with chicken stock, garlic, kale, and seasonings for a simple delicious soup.

Any time the weather gets cold, we crave soup! Actually, I could eat warm and cozy soups every day forever.

Thank goodness for garlic white bean soup with kale, because this is literally a comfort food soup for all seasons! You can enjoy it with homemade crusty bread like No-Knead Artisan Bread in the cooler months and with a fresh salad in the warmer months.

And let me tell you – I’ve eaten this great white bean soup kale recipe no less than SEVEN times in the past two months and every single time I am shocked at three things:

1. How good it tastes
2. How divine it smells
3. And how easy it is to make!

P.S.…My whole family also loved this soup!

GARLIC WHITE BEAN SOUP KALE

Not only does this garlic white bean soup kale make your home smell absolutely amazing, but it’s also:

• Healthy. With the protein and fiber in beans, and the nourishing chicken stock, garlic, kale, and herbs, this soup is a super healthy, family-friendly recipe!
• Simple. This vegetarian soup is made from simple, nothing fancy, you-totally-have-these-in-your-pantry ingredients: navy beans, bay leaves, chicken stock, and garlic.
• Frugal. Not only is this kale soup with white beans easy to whip up, but it’s also great for our pocketbooks.
• Gluten-free. Excellent for gluten free folks! If you choose to buy store-bought broth, rather than homemade chicken broth, just be sure to check that it’s free of gluten ingredients.
• Great as leftovers. The flavors blend even more in the refrigerator – you’ll end up fighting over who gets a bowl for lunch the next day!

Seriously – who knew such simple pantry ingredients were capable of such magic?!

INGREDIENTS FOR SOUP WITH KALE AND WHITE BEANS

Aside from the kale, you can find all of the ingredients for soup with kale and white beans in your kitchen.

• Dry Navy Beans. Navy beans are my favorite small white bean for soup, but Great Northern beans or cannellini beans work too.
• Water. For soaking the beans ahead of time. This helps reduce the final cooking time and makes beans easier to digest.
• Chicken Stock. I make my own either in the Instant Pot or the slow cooker. Vegetable broth works too!
• Garlic Cloves. My recipe calls for 4 cloves of garlic, but feel free to add more if you like the taste. You’ll use this at two points in the recipe to really bring out the flavor.
• Simple Spices: Bay leaf + dried oregano are all you need here.
• Kale. It wouldn’t be soup with kale and white beans without it! Try lacinato kale or curly leaf kale.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This adds to the richness of the soup.
• Butter. Again, this gives a rich, savory flavor to the soup.
• Tomato Paste. A bit of tomato complements the beans nicely. This recipe only uses 1 Tablespoon, so freeze the rest for future recipes.

Note: Some other white bean soup recipes might call for vegetables like onions, carrots and celery, or lemon juice, white wine, and red pepper flakes. I haven’t used them in this recipe, but you can always add more to make this white bean soup kale recipe your own!

HOW TO MAKE WHITE BEAN SOUP AND KALE

Follow these easy instructions for this one pot kale soup recipe!

Step 1. In a large soup pot, combine dry beans with 4 cups of water. Bring just to a boil, then turn off the stove and cover. Soak the beans overnight.

Step 2. Drain and rinse the beans 3 times. Place the beans back into the same stock pot and add the chicken stock, garlic, and bay leaf. Cook the beans, simmering over low heat until they are al dente (just tender), for about 1 ½ to 2 hours. Add an additional 1 cup of water at a time if necessary to keep the beans submerged.

Step 3. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, combine olive oil, butter, minced garlic, oregano, and tomato paste in a small pot. Heat over low for 15 minutes for the flavors to meld.

Step 4. Add the flavored butter and garlic mixture and the kale to the beans and stir well. Let the soup continue to cook so the kale can wilt. Season generously with salt and fresh black pepper and serve. A sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese would be delicious too!

If you’re going to use salt, make sure it’s a good one like Ava Jane’s Kitchen that doesn’t have microplastics! You can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt right now (just pay shipping and handling!).

Store leftover white bean soup and kale in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze leftover soup for up to 4 months. You can also double the beans in the soaking step and freeze those for a quicker pot of soup next time!

HOW TO MAKE WHITE BEAN SOUP KALE IN THE SLOW COOKER

I wrote this recipe for the stovetop, but you can adapt it for a slow cooker.

Step 1. In a medium stockpot, combine dry beans with 4 cups of water. Bring just to a boil, then turn off the stove and cover. Soak the beans overnight.

Step 2. Drain and rinse the beans 3 times. Place the beans in a slow cooker.

Step 3. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the kale, to the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Step 4. Stir in the kale and cook for 30 more minutes, until the kale wilts.

TIPS FOR KALE SOUP WITH WHITE BEANS

The longest part of making this recipe for white bean soup and kale is cooking the beans. You have a few options to speed this step up.

• Double the beans for the soaking step and freeze half for your next batch of soup.
• Make a big batch of cooked beans and freeze those ahead of time. Start by simmering the cooked beans in chicken stock until they are warmed through and then add the remaining ingredients.
• Or use 2 cans of white beans like Great Northern or navy beans. Make sure to drain and rinse them first!

This soup is yummy as written, but you can add meat if you want. Cooked Italian sausage or cooked shredded chicken would be easy and delicious!

SERVE WHITE BEAN SOUP KALE WITH

This kale soup with white beans is hearty enough to be a meal on its own. You can also pair it with bread and salad for a full-fledged Sunday dinner. Try any of these:

CANNELLII BEAN KALE SOUP FAQS

MORE YUMMY BEAN SOUP RECIPES