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Kale Minestrone Soup Recipe

This kale minestrone soup recipe will show you the difference between a good and an AMAZING minestrone soup recipe. I have four simple tricks to ensure the broth is packed full of rich flavor. Prepare for minestrone magic!

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
45 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 369 kcal
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

Kale Minestrone Soup
  • 1 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1 medium onion minced
  • 3 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 2 large carrots diced
  • 5.5 5.5 ounce can tomato paste
  • 4 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 3 3 medium red potatoes diced
  • 2 2 stalks celery diced
  • 1 1 zucchini diced
  • 1 1 teaspoon EACH: oregano, thyme, and black pepper
  • 28 28 ounce can whole tomatoes
  • 2 2 parmesan rinds optional - see notes
  • 15 15 ounce can white beans drained and rinsed
  • 8 8 ounces kale removed from stem and chopped
  • Juice from ½ lemon
  • sea salt to taste
Easy Basil Pesto
  • 2 2 ounces basil about 1 cup, loosely packed
  • 2 2 ounces parsley about 1 cup loosely packed
  • ¼ ¼ cup pine nuts cashews or almonds work great, too
  • 2 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice from ½ lemon
  • 2 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and carrots and let them cook, stirring occasionally, until the carrots and onion start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook it until it is sweet smelling and starts to darken, about 3 minutes.
  2. Add the vegetable broth, potatoes, celery, zucchini, black pepper, oregano, and thyme to the pot. Pour the juice from the tomatoes into the pot then use your hands to crush the whole tomatoes before adding them to the pot. If you're using the parmesan rinds, add them to the pot now. Bring the pot to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes.
  3. While the soup simmers, make the pesto. Add all the pesto ingredients to a small food processor and pulse until mostly smooth.
  4. Add the beans, kale, and lemon juice to the soup and let the kale wilt and the beans warm through. Season to taste with sea salt. Serve the minestrone topped with the pesto.

Notes

  • Note 1: To make this soup quickly, start by mincing the onion and let that start cooking while you prepare the garlic and carrots. Then chop the remaining veggies while the carrots and onion cook.
  • Note 2: If you have parmesan rinds, throw a few into the pot with the stock for extra flavor.
  • Note 3: I like the rough texture of using whole tomatoes and crushing them with my hands. If you'd prefer, you can use diced tomatoes instead. 
  • Note 4: The veggies are really flexible. If there are any you don't like, feel free to swap them for ones you enjoy or have on hand. You want about 4 cups of chopped veggies, not including the potatoes. 

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 serving = ⅙ of the recipe (about 2 cups) Calories 369kcal (18%) Carbohydrates 57g (19%) Protein 15g (30%) Fat 12g (18%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Polyunsaturated Fat 3g Monounsaturated Fat 6g Sodium 1870mg (78%) Potassium 1907mg (54%) Fiber 11g (44%) Sugar 13g (26%) Vitamin A 10116IU (202%) Vitamin C 100mg (111%) Calcium 228mg (23%) Iron 7mg (39%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 369

% Daily Value*

Serving 1 serving = ⅙ of the recipe (about 2 cups)
Calories 369kcal 18%
Carbohydrates 57g 19%
Protein 15g 30%
Fat 12g 18%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g 18%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g 30%
Sodium 1870mg 78%
Potassium 1907mg 41%
Fiber 11g 44%
Sugar 13g 26%
Vitamin A 10116IU 202%
Vitamin C 100mg 111%
Calcium 228mg 23%
Iron 7mg 39%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.