Creamy White Bean Soup with Kale
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
20 mins
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Cook Time
30 mins
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Total Time
50 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
419 kcal
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Cuisine
Mediterranean
Creamy White Bean Soup with Kale
Description
This soup begins by sautéing onion, celery, and carrots until softened and lightly browned, then adding garlic and red pepper flakes for a bit of warm heat. After deglazing with some vegetable broth, the pot is filled with remaining broth, seasoning, a tied bouquet garni, diced potatoes, cannellini beans, and optional artichokes. The soup simmers until the potatoes are tender, allowing flavors to meld.
Kale is shredded and added near the end for texture and earthiness. The soup’s texture is creamy from the softened beans and potatoes, though it remains chunky. The addition of gremolata made from fresh herbs and lemon zest offers a bright, fresh contrast to the savory broth and beans.
It serves well as a filling meal on its own or alongside crusty bread. The soup’s mix of textures and herbal notes creates a balanced dish that combines smooth and tender ingredients with fresh finishing touches.
Vegetable broth quantity can be adjusted for thicker or thinner consistency, and fresh herb handling techniques are included as options if kitchen twine is unavailable for the bouquet garni.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion (or leek), diced
- 3 celery diced
- 3 carrot diced, medium
- 6 garlic finely chopped, cloves
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 ½ cups vegetable broth see Note 1, low-sodium
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt Diamond Crystal brand
- black pepper freshly cracked, to taste
- Bouquet garni: 2 bay leaves + 1 large sprig of sage + 1 large or 2 small sprigs rosemary, tied tightly together with kitchen twine (see Note 2)
- 1 Yukon Gold potato ~6 oz or 170g), peeled and finely diced, medium
- 2 (15-ounce/425g) cannellini beans or 3 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (14 ounce/400g) can artichoke hearts optional, drained and chopped finely
- 1 small kale center rib removed and shredded (about 1 small bunch, lacinato
- extra virgin olive oil for finishing, good-quality
Gremolata
- 1 loosely packed cup parsley flat-leaf, 12g
- ½ loosely packed cup basil fresh, 8g
- 2 garlic left whole and peeled, cloves
- 2 lemons I prefer organic since we're using the peel, medium size
- sea salt flaky
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion, celery, and carrots, along with a pinch or two of salt. Cook until the vegetables are softened and starting to just turn brown, 7 to 9 minutes.
- Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook another 1 to 2 minutes until very fragrant.
- Pour in a splash of vegetable broth to deglaze the pot as needed, stirring up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the remaining broth, 1 heaping teaspoon of kosher salt, black pepper to taste, bouquet garni, potatoes, cannellini beans, and artichokes (if using). Stir well.
- Bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce heat, cover the pot, and simmer the soup for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- While the soup is simmering, make the Gremolata. Finely chop the parsley and basil. Using a microplane, grate the garlic directly over the parsley and basil. Then zest the lemons on top of this mixture, taking care to not zest the white pith underneath the skin. Mix the garlic and lemon zest into the herbs and chop the herbs until they’re finely minced. Sprinkle with a bit of the coarse or flaky sea salt.
- Transfer half of the soup to a stand blender and blend until thick and smooth. Then return this pureed soup back to the pot and stir to incorporate. One-pot option: Remove bouquet garni and use an immersion blender throughout half of the soup, but be sure to not blend it all - you want to retain some texture.
- Add the kale to the soup and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the kale is tender but still bright green. Taste for seasonings, adding salt to taste and a squeeze of lemon juice if desired. When the soup is done, remove the bouquet garni.
- Serve the soup in bowls and sprinkle a generous amount of the Gremolata over each bowl and a drizzle of the extra virgin olive oil.If storing leftovers, add the gremolata to a jar, drizzle some olive oil in there, and refrigerate. Spoon this over leftover soup.
Notes
- Adjust broth volume for desired soup thickness; less broth yields a thicker soup.
- If you lack kitchen twine, either remove herb sprigs with tongs after cooking or tie with herbs or string alternatives.
- Use low-sodium broth and adjust salt near the end to control seasoning.
- Instant Pot instructions are available for alternative cooking methods.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 4Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 419 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 419kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 70g | 23% |
| Protein | 20g | 40% |
| Fat | 9g | 14% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Sodium | 677mg | 28% |
| Potassium | 1618mg | 34% |
| Fiber | 17g | 68% |
| Sugar | 7g | 14% |
| Vitamin A | 11429IU | 229% |
| Vitamin C | 65mg | 72% |
| Calcium | 306mg | 31% |
| Iron | 8mg | 44% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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