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kale and bean soup overhead
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5 from 130 votes

Lemony Kale and Bean Soup

Creamy Lemon Kale and Bean Soup is healthy and delicious with no cream! It's a fast soup to make with a bright sunny flavor to cheer up the coldest of days.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Diet: Low Calorie, Vegetarian
Servings: 7 1-cup servings (total yield: 7 cups)
Calories: 167kcal
Author: Toni Dash

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ½ cup yellow onion chopped
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 large carrots peeled and chopped
  • 2 medium celery stalks sliced or chopped
  • 2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas drained and rinsed
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • ½ teaspoon dried marjoram
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 cups low sodium broth chicken or vegetable
  • 1 large bunch kale stems removed and leaves roughly chopped, or 1 package frozen kale; 3 ½ cups kale
  • Zest and juice of ½ lemon
  • Chopped fresh parsley for serving
  • cup grated parmesan cheese optional

Instructions

Stove Top instructions

  • Blend one can of the drained, rinsed white beans and half of the chickpeas (drained and rinsed) with one cup of the broth. Blend till smooth.
  • In a large stock pan, heat the olive oil and sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and garlic. Sauté for 4-5 more minutes.
  • Pour the bean purée, the remaining beans, rosemary, thyme, marjoram, salt, and the broth. Let simmer for 30 minutes, then add the kale, and cook for another 5 minutes.
  • Take the pan off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest.
  • Serve each bowl of soup with a sprinkle of parmesan (optional) and parsley.

Slow Cooker Instructions

  • Puree the beans as described in step 1 above. Sauté the onions and garlic on the stovetop as described above (step 2).
  • Add the onions and garlic to the crockpot along with the blended beans, other beans, chickpeas, spices, celery, carrots, and broth.
  • Cook on HIGH for 2 hours, or on LOW for 4 hours.
    Thirty minutes beforecooking is complete, add the kale.
  • Before serving add the lemon juice, and sprinkle the top with parmesan (optional) and parsley. 

Notes

Nutritional facts do not include parmesan cheese as it's an option.
Variations
Use different beans. If you want to stick with something similar for this white bean soup recipe try Great Northern beans or navy beans.
Change the seasonings. We love the flavor from the fresh herbs though if you don't have them available using some dried herbs Italian Seasoning would be great. Add a bay leaf (or a couple bay leaves) too.
Want a creamier soup? After the soup is done cooking you can use an immersion blender (stick blender) to blend it fully.
Use a potato masher. If you like a consistency between creamy and solid ingredients use a potato masher on the beans after the soup is cooked.
Want to add some meat? To keep it lean sauté some turkey Italian sausage with the vegetables before adding the broth.
Want a vegan version? Use vegetable broth and exclude the parmesan cheese for a healthy vegan soup.
Like a bit of spicy heat? Sprinkle in some red pepper flakes when serving.
Don't love kale? Swap in baby spinach instead.

Pro Tip

Add the remaining 3 cups broth to the blender after pouring the pureed beans into the soup pot to remove any remaining pureed beans. Pour into the soup post.

How to Store

Store the cooked soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 167kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 560mg | Potassium: 254mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 4311IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 3mg