Tuscan Kale Soup with White Beans (Vegetarian)

This hearty, Italian-inspired vegetarian Tuscan Kale Soup with White Beans is filling and packed with nutrition from white kidney beans and vegetables like kale, carrots, celery and tomatoes. I recommend serving it with a parmesan cheese and a side of crusty bread.

Hearty, Cozy AND Healthy!

Are you a lover of hearty, chunky soups? If yes, you’ll love this cozy and healthy Tuscan Kale Soup with White Beans. It’s easy to make (it takes under 30 minutes) and like my healthy broccoli cheddar soup and creamy white bean chili, it’s packed with good nutrition to warm you up and keep you feeling well during the colder months of the year.

The first time I tried Tuscan Kale and White Bean soup was years ago when my mom made it for my family at home. She served with a nice crusty bread and a sprinkle of freshly grated parmesan cheese…safe to say I loved it. My mom initially used the recipe from The Wanderlust Kitchen, and the recipe I’m sharing here is adapted from that.

So Many Nourishing Ingredients:

As a dietitian, I have major respect for this tuscan kale and white bean soup recipe because it is absolutely packed with nutrition – thanks to these key ingredients:

• White kidney beans: This canned food is a star ingredient in many of my nourishing soup recipes. Why? Because they’re rich in filling fibre, plant-based protein, and a ton of important vitamins and minerals like iron, calcium, and folate. Plus, they’re convenient! No extra cooking required – just dump em’ into the soup!
• Kale: In this recipe we use curly kale that we’ll roughly chop before stirring into the soup. While this superfood ingredient is generally tough and fibrous, adding it to soup helps break down that fibrous texture making it more tender – and in my opinion – more enjoyable.
• Onion, carrots, celery, and canned tomatoes: Yes, there are four additional vegetables besides the kale! All adding fibre, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to our cozy tuscan soup recipe.

Fun fact: This soup is full of vitamin C-rich vegetables like celery, kale and onions, plus vitamin C-rich lemon juice. When vitamin C is paired with iron-rich foods (like white kidney beans and kale) it helps our bodies absorb the iron better.

How to Make it, Step by Step:

To make this recipe, you’re going to need a large pot or dutch oven for cooking and a handheld immersion blender. Here is a step by step description of how to make it:

1. Warm olive oil in the pot, then add the onion, celery, and carrots and and cook until tender. Follow with the minced garlic, salt, pepper, and herbs/spices (dried rosemary, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes). Cook it all together to let the flavours blend.
2. Add the bay leaves then pour in the canned diced tomatoes (with juices) on top. Also add in the drained white beans and broth. Bring this mixture to a boil, and once boiling stir in the roughly chopped kale leaves. Then you can reduce the heat and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
3. Here’s where you’ll need the immersion blender: blend about 1/2 to 2/3 of the soup (depending how chunky you want it) to partially puree the soup, leaving some chunks of vegetables and beans for texture.
4. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Taste the soup and adjust salt, pepper and other spices as necessary.
5. Serve the soup topped with chopped Italian parsley, grated parmesan cheese, and a side of crusty bread (optional, but totally recommended).

Connect with Hannah Magee, RD!

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