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.)
- 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.
- 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.
- Finely chop 8 oz. kale leaves and give them a wash in the salad spinner if you’re using garden kale.
- 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.
- I used fresh sage leaves from my garden, but dried sage would also work.
- The soup won’t win any beauty contests, but it was delicious!
- 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
White Bean and Kale Soup
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 Tย minced garlicย (or less if youโre 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
- 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.
- Add the garlic and Italian Seasoning and cook 1-2 minutes more, being careful not to let the garlic brown.
- Spray the slow cooker with non-stick spray; then put onions and garlic into the slow cooker.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.
- Add one or two pieces of Parmesan rind if desired for extra flavor.
- Cook 4 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low.
- Serve the soup hot, with strips of Parmesan shaved over if desired.
- 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 fromย The Italian Slow Cookerย by Michele Scicolone.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount 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.
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 Kalynโs Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes Iโm 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.
26 Comments on “White Bean and Kale Soup”
Elizabeth, so glad you are enjoying the site!
I found this website through a buzzfeed post and now I'm a huge fan! I just used this recipe to make a very similar variation and we loved in my house!! I'm so pleased with how easy yet healthy and satisfying this soup was. I will definitely be making this again real soon.
Dr. D, thanks for that nice feedback! So glad you are enjoying the blog.
I was looking for a warming soup when we had a sudden drop in temperature. I found this and had
all the ingredients on hand. It was fantastic. I appreciate the tip on freezing it. I use your recipes
much more often than I post. I love your blog.
Kalyn, love your site! I'm a (new) vegetarian and love your recipes, the design or your blog, etc. thanks!
I made the soup and included the tomatoes. The petite dice was key for me. I absolutely loved this soup!!! So delicious. I can't wait to make it again!!
SugarStuff, so glad you liked it. I think mushrooms would be a nice addition!
Thanks Nicola. I'm not completely sure how this would work without tomatoes since I haven't tried it, but I think you could make it work. You would need to add more liquid, and maybe substitute another types of vegetable like green bell pepper or red bell pepper, if that sounds good to you.
I love your blog and recipes. I'm always excited each day to see what's new. I would like to try this recipe but I'm not a fan of tomatoes. Can I leave them out? Should I substitute something else? Thanks for all your wonderful recipes!!
Thanks Andrea, and I am so glad you're enjoying the recipes!
This recipe (like all of yours!) is excellent! I make a pot full on the weekend and eat on it all week at work! I teach school so time to fix lunch is limited and this is a wonderful solution, I have shared this, and your site with several of my co-workers! Thanks!
We are definitely channeling each other, because I just made a kale and cannellini bean stew to have on hand during the hurricane! I didn't think to add sage leaves to mine, and I like that idea.
Thanks everyone for the good thoughts about this.
Elizabeth; take care of yourself! (And I hope you get a slow cooker.)
Donna, love it that I inspired you to try kale!
I have a confession to make: I had never eaten kale before I saw it on your blog. You gave me the courage back then to try that weird looking tough green stuff in the produce department. You still inspire me today – this looks like a winner!
Um, I know this is silly, but I loooove shaved parm. I don't know if it's the flakiness or what, but I swear it's the best way to enjoy parm!
I'll take Parmesan over croutons any day. ANY DAY!
I think soup really is the silver lining to all this cold weather. This recipe looks superb. ๐
Yum! This is exactly what I'm craving since I have a kidney stone right now and don't feel Lille spending 30 minutes at the stove. I just asked for a slow cooker for Christmas ๐
Yum! I'm always looking for ways to use my slow cooker and ways to cook kale – sounds like a winner!
Becky, I would love it with Italian Sausage too. And please come and get kale!
After smelling this in your kitchen I made a version this weekend! I added some sweet Italian sausage so mine was less healthy but delicious never the less! I'll try this one next time…. oh and I'll have to drop by for more kale ๐
Thanks everyone for the nice feedback about this. Really enjoyed the flavors!
I do like sauteeing my base vegetables before putting them in the crockpot – I think it definitely is worth it for extra depth in crockpot recipes. I also love using Parmesan rinds in soups – first of all, because I don't like throwing food out, and second of all, because it adds so much flavor.
I love to experiment the same way and keep adding until I wind up with something delicious. This soup sounds awesome!
I know exactly what you mean about the cold weather. When I lived in Canada I used to complain about how cold it got. But now that I'm in Florida, I sure do miss the excuse of cold weather to make all those soups and stews. This one sounds especially wonderful. I love kale and parmesan together.
A great winter soup. Love the substitute of croutons for parm.
I feel the same way about the cold! But you know…it makes cuddling up to a warm soup all the better! This looks so hearty and delicious!