Tuscan White Bean & Kale Soup
A rustic, plant-based soup of cannellini beans, kale, carrots, and rosemary in a rich tomato-vegetable broth.
This is the kind of soup that tastes like it's been simmering in an Italian farmhouse kitchen all afternoon, even though it comes together in under an hour. Creamy cannellini beans, chopped kale, and a soffritto of onion, carrot, and celery build a broth that's rich with rosemary and tomato.
Built entirely from plants, this soup fits comfortably into a vegan pattern and leans Mediterranean in its use of beans, greens, and olive oil rather than meat — a combination that lines up well with a heart-healthy, cholesterol-conscious way of eating.
It thickens as it sits, so thin leftovers with a splash of broth when reheating.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion — diced
- 2 carrots — diced
- 2 stalks celery — diced
- 3 cloves garlic — minced
- 2 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans — drained and rinsed
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
- 4 cups chopped kale
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes — optional
- salt and pepper — to taste
These ingredients are standard at most North American supermarkets.
Instructions
- 1Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat and sauté onion, carrots, and celery until softened, about 6 minutes.
- 2Add garlic and cook 1 minute, then stir in beans, vegetable broth, diced tomatoes, and rosemary.
- 3Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, 20 minutes to let the flavors meld.
- 4Stir in kale and red pepper flakes, and cook 5 minutes more, until kale is wilted and tender.
- 5Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.