White Bean and Kale Soup

This White Bean and Kale Soup is one of my favorite slow cooker soups, and please don’t skip the shaved Parmesan! And this is a delicious vegetarian soup that’s easy to make in the crockpot; see tips for making a version that’s lower in carbs if you prefer.

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As much as I whine about the cold weather, you can tell I love cold-weather dishes, especially soup. Some of my favorite soups are the ones where I start with an idea and add things until it tastes good, but even when I have a recipe to start with like I did this time, I tend to improvise with most of the soups I make.

This delicious meatless White Bean and Kale Soup can cook all day in the slow cooker, and it was adapted from a recipe I saw in The Italian Slow Cooker (affiliate link), a book that’s loaded with good ideas. I increased the amount of stock (and might use even more next time), added some dried Italian herbs, and served the soup with shaved Parmesan Cheese instead of croutons, for a soup that was warm and filling, and loaded with flavor.

And thisWhite Bean and Kale Soup is the perfect soup recipe to add some Parmesan rinds and let them melt into the soup while it cooks all day, and that will make this tasty meatless soup even more flavorful.

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• Olive Oil (affiliate link)
• onions
• Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
• Italian Herb Seasoning (affiliate link)
• canned white bean beans 
• canned petite diced tomatoes with liquid
• finely chopped kale
• vegetable stock or canned vegetable broth (affiliate link)
• fresh sage leaves, or dried sage
• Parmesan rind to add flavor (optional)
• freshly shaved Parmesan, to garnish (optional)

What beans did I use for White Bean and Kale Soup?

I made this soup with Cannellini Beans (affiliate link), which are white kidney beans that are often used in Italian cuisine. Any type of white beans will be fine, but I do think the Cannellini Beans are extra flavorful in a soup like this.

What if you don’t want Kale in the white bean soup?

If you’re not a fan of the bitter assertive flavor of kale you can use other greens like collards, Swiss Chard, or Spinach in this soup.

Want to make lower-carb White Bean and Kale Soup?

Even though they do have fiber, white beans are not low in carbs. If you wanted to make a version of this soup that’s lower in carbs, just use one can of beans and more kale. You could also add two cups of another low-carb vegetable like chopped cauliflower, chopped red bell pepper, or chopped cabbage to replace the can of beans.

What size Slow Cooker did I use?

I used my Crock-Pot 5-Quart Slow Cooker (affiliate link) for this White Bean and Kale Soup recipe.

Want more soup with beans?

If you’re a fan of soup with beans, you’ll want to check out Slow Cooker and Instant Pot Bean Soup Recipes on my Slow Cooker or Pressure Cooker site!

How to Make White Bean and Kale Soup:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

1. I know some of you hate to have to pre-cook things for the slow cooker, but I promise that cooking the onions and garlic with the Italian Seasoning for a few minutes really will increase the flavor. 
2. I used the bowl attachment of my Immersion Blender (affiliate link) to coarsely puree the 2 cans of Cannellini beans, but after I wondered why I didn’t just puree them in the slow cooker with the immersion blender.  You can also use a blender or food processor.
3. Finely chop 8 oz. kale leaves and give them a wash in the salad spinner if you’re using garden kale.
4. Put the sauteed onion mixture, pureed beans, 1 can tomatoes with juice, stock or broth, chopped kale, and sage leaves into the slow cooker (with Parmesan rinds if using) and cook about 4 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.
5. I used fresh sage leaves from my garden, but dried sage would also work.
6. The soup won’t win any beauty contests, but it was delicious! 
7. And I highly recommend serving with shaved Parmesan like I did!

More Ideas for Beans and Greens:

• Slow Cooker Stew with Sausage, Beans, and Kale
• Slow Cooker Bean Soup with Ham, Spinach, and Thyme
• CrockPot Sausage, Beans, and Greens

Continue to Content

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Yield: 8 servings

White Bean and Kale Soup

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

This White Bean and Kale Soup is a favorite Slow Cooker soup of mine, and I highly recommend serving the soup with shaved Parmesan! And if you have some Parmesan rinds to add to the White Bean and Kale Soup while it cooks, that will really kick up the flavor1

Ingredients

• 2 T olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped small
• 2 T minced garlic (or less if you’re not a garlic fan)
• 2 tsp. Italian Herb Seasoning (contains oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme and rosemary)
• two 15 oz. cans Cannellini beans (see notes)
• one 14.5 oz. can petite diced tomatoes with juice
• 8 oz. finely chopped kale, washed if needed (see notes)
• 5 cups vegetable broth
• 4 fresh sage leaves, or 1/2 tsp. dried rubbed sage
• Parmesan rind to add flavor (optional)
• freshly shaved Parmesan, to garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large heavy frying pan; add the onions and cook 4-5 minutes or until they are just starting to brown.
2. Add the garlic and Italian Seasoning and cook 1-2 minutes more, being careful not to let the garlic brown.
3. Spray the slow cooker with non-stick spray; then put onions and garlic into the slow cooker.
4. While the onions are cooking use an immersion blender or food processor to puree the Cannellini beans with the juice, keeping them a little chunky if you prefer.  (If you’re using freshly-cooked beans I would add about 1/4 cup water.)
5. Finely chop the kale (cutting away thick center ribs if you have them) and wash kale in the salad spinner if you’re using garden kale.
6. Put the pureed beans, chopped kale, vegetable stock, canned tomatoes and juice, and sage leaves (or dried sage) into the slow cooker with the onion mixture.
7. Add one or two pieces of Parmesan rind if desired for extra flavor.
8. Cook 4 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.
9. Serve the soup hot, with strips of Parmesan shaved over if desired.
10. This soup will keep for at least a week in the fridge, and it freezes well.

Notes

I used a 5-Quart Slow Cooker for this recipe. You can cook the soup for 8-10 hours on low if you prefer.

You can use 4 cups cooked beans and a little water if you prefer.

I used about 8 cups finely chopped kale.

Recipe adapted from The Italian Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone.

Nutrition Information

Yield

8

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 467Total Fat 19gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 11gCholesterol 91mgSodium 475mgCarbohydrates 39gFiber 9gSugar 7gProtein 36g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This White bean and Kale Soup is high in carbs for a low-carb diet plan but see tips above for making a version that’s lower in carbs. Even though they’re a low-glycemic ingredient, dried beans are a limited food for Phase One of the original South Beach Diet, but in a soup like this with lots of other ingredients you can have a normal serving. 

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Slow Cooker Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find more recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
White Bean and Kale Soup was first posted in 2012 and back in those days I made it several times for my annual New Year’s Day soup party. The recipe was last updated with more information in 2024.

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