Author: My go-to vegan soup recipe is this 20-minute white bean & kale soup because it's simple, packed full of veggies, gluten-free, made with ingredients you likely already have on hand, and will make you feel great! This soup is delicious, easy, hearty, and healthy. Cook up a pot of this soup and you'll be set for a week of easy meals. You can enjoy this soup alone, or as a side dish served along with salad, or sandwiches. It's good for any time and it's good for you, too!
I have lots of recipes for fun and creative vegan soups, but sometimes I just want something simple and healthy that I can whip up in a flash. This white bean & kale soup (or a variation of it) is my go-to! You can swap the beans with whatever beans you have on hand, and you can also swap the kale for other dark leafy greens if you prefer. This is the perfect soup for when you're feeling a bit under the weather, or when you just want an easy way to incorporate more good for your beans and veggies into your day.
Ingredients:
White Kidney Beans: I use canned beans to make this soup quick and easy to whip up, but if you prefer you can cook your beans from scratch. White kidney beans are my go-to for this recipe, but you can feel free to swap with your favorite beans such as black beans, kidney beans, lentils, lima beans, or pinto beans.
Carrots, Celery, and Onion: also called a French Mirepoix, this trio of veggies makes the perfect flavor base for many dishes including this soup.
Vegetable Broth: use homemade or store-bought vegetable broth, whatever you prefer. If you are looking to make your own vegan soup broth, try my recipe for Vegetable Broth from Scraps or my Veggie Broth Powder recipe from my cookbook Fast Easy Cheap Vegan (page 39).
Kale: I love to add kale to this soup because it provides a wonderful chew, but feel free to swap the kale with your preferred dark leafy greens such as spinach, swiss chard, or collard greens.
Herbs & Spices: In this soup, I add dried thyme leaves, oregano, cumin, turmeric, and pepper to make this soup full of comforting flavors.
How to Make Vegan Soup:
To make my white bean & kale vegan soup recipe, start by heating the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables just begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable broth, beans, thyme, oregano, cumin, turmeric, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the kale and stir to wilt the kale into the soup. Simmer for another 5 minutes to soften the kale. Add salt to taste if needed. (Many brands of vegetable broth are quite salty so I often don't need any additional salt). Serve hot with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan if desired.
This vegan soup recipe is...
- Quick & easy to make
- Healthy
- Warming and comforting
- Feel better vibes
What to serve with this soup:
Vegan Mozzarella Grilled Cheese
Easy Crispy Vegan Crackers
Cheesy Vegan Garlic Bread
Vegan Egg Salad Sandwich
Vegan Parmesan
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
So tell me, what's your favorite vegan soup?
Bon appetegan!
Sam Turnbull.
(click stars to vote)
My Go-To Vegan Soup
Servings: servings (makes about 14 cups)
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Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 6 cups vegetable broth, or vegan chickenless broth
- 2 19oz cans white kidney beans, (4 cups) drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups kale, finely shredded
- salt, to taste, if needed
- vegan parmesan, (optional for garnish)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and garlic. Sauté until the veggies just begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add the vegetable broth, beans, thyme, oregano, cumin, turmeric, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the kale and stir to wilt the kale into the soup. Simmer for another 5 minutes to soften the kale. Add salt to taste if needed. Many brands of vegetable broth are quite salty so I often don't need any additional salt.
- Serve hot with a sprinkle of vegan parmesan if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕More vegan soup recipes you might enjoy...
Kate says
Good day, Sam!
I'm so glad I found this wonderful soup recipe. I wouldn't add beans to this dish myself, but after trying your recipe, I can't eat it any other way! The oregano and turmeric give the soup a rich flavor, I love it.
By the way, how do you determine the nutritional value of foods? I use foodval, maybe you can recommend me some other useful services?
I will wait for your answer and try other recipes!
Regards, Ekaterina
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you enjoy the soup Kate! 🙂 The recipe writing program I use has a built in nutrition calculator. Of course the nutrition will vary based on specific products used, etc.
Sara Sektnan says
So delicious! This has become my go-to soup as well, and really taught me a solid soup base to add or subtract from depending on what I have on hand. Thank you!
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
So happy you love it Sara! Yes! I often adapt this recipe using whatever I have on hand 🙂
Lisa says
I love this soup ,, I have made it several times now
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Wonderful 🙂
Beverly says
Wow loved this. So nourishing and satisfying ! Will make this again love it. !
Sam Turnbull @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
Yay! So happy to hear that!
Judi J. says
Whenever I am under the weather and a need hug in a bowl, this is my go to soup recipe! It is absolutely delicious and so easy to make.
Jess @ It Doesn't Taste Like Chicken says
We're so happy to hear it!
Rachel Suzanne says
I have a bean hater so I omitted the beans and cubed half a butternut squash and a few red potatoes. It was a hit!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Wonderful!
Lynn says
Not very tasty. I would NOT make this again.
Olya Matvieieva says
Easy, fast, delicious. That’s why I think Sam is the best vegan chef! Thank you. I love how every recipe is not complicated and featured budget friendly ingredients!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thank you so much!!!
Colleen says
I just made this soup and boy was it good! So quick to make but tastes like it has been cooking all day! Definitely will become a favorite in our home
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
We love to hear it!
Wes says
Delicious! I diced some potato to sub for one of the cans of beans and used garbanzo beans since I had no white beans. but I love the potato/bean/kale combination. I used rosemary, fennel seed, oregano, thyme and a bay leaf.
evangelaine says
The seasonings turn this into my go-to soup as well! Thank you, a new favorite.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Wonderful!
Jeanie says
I wanted a filling and practically-calorie-free soup, so I made it without the beans, and it’s delicious! I always use Better Than Bouillon vegetable paste for soup broths.
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
We're so glad you like it!
Nicole says
This turned out better than I thought it would, since it was so simple. I followed the recipe exactly except I added one diced zucchini (since it needed to be used). That was a delicious addition. My husband came home and basically ate the rest of the pot of soup after myself and our 2 kids had our share. Since it went so quick and I still have all of the ingredients, I’m going to make another batch today!
Rebecca says
I didn’t use spinach or kale because I didn’t have any on hand and I used four cups of broth and sautéed the vegetables in 1 cup of water. The soups came out a bit watery for my taste so I used an immersion blender to make it creamier; next time I may use 1 cup less liquid. This is a versatile soup that is delicious and filling!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Thanks for sharing your experience, Rebecca!
Christiane says
So easy to make and so satisfying!!!
Jess @ IDTLC Support says
Thanks for your review, Christiane!
Melissa says
This soup is amazing. The spices make it so good. And so easy to whip up in a few minutes. I’m not a Kale fan, so I’ve used spinach twice, and bok choy the third time. On my 3rd batch this month!!
Christal says
Wow, I just made this and it’s amazing! I was almost licking my bowl clean
Sam Turnbull says
Haha awesome! So happy you loved it! 🙂
Candi Mastroianni says
Sam, out of curiosity, how are the nutritional values for this soup calculated, especially if one opts out of using oil to saute the veggies?
As I understand it, there are 40.4 g of carbohydrate just in 1 cup of cannellini beans alone. I know that your nutritional values are per serving, so you must be adding in the carbohydrate values for the rest of the vegetables. Correct?
By the way, the soup is so delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Candi, the recipe writing program has an app that automatically calculates the nutrition per serving. If you make changes I recommend using a program such as My Fitness Pal to calculate the exact nutrition. Enjoy!
fenice says
Such an easy-to-make soup that more than repays your efforts. So delectable and cozy and adaptable. First day, we eat this as is, second day I add some sautéed soy curls and a little more broth and (if there's a) third day, add some cooked pasta with a little more broth and savour this deliciousness
Sam Turnbull says
Wonderful! So happy you love it 🙂
Susan says
Hi, Sam, I made your Go To Soup and understand why it’s a Go To! So delicious. I made a point of putting together your broth mix from FECV and couldn’t believe how satisfying and rich the broth in this soup was. Thank you for another wonderful soup recipe. Can you tell I love soup??
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! I can! So happy you loved it so much, Susan 🙂
Lynn says
I really liked it changed the beans and used chickenless broth couple Bay leaves.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you loved it Lynn 🙂