Tuscan White Bean Kale Soup Recipe
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The best Tuscan White Bean Kale Soup recipe with winter squash, leeks, lacinato kale and creamy cannellini beans. Quick and easy to make on the stove top, without meat, 100% vegan and gluten free. Slow cooker method included.
Tuscan White Bean and Kale Soup
Brimming with whole foods this comforting vegan and pure vegetarian soup screams for Italian crusty bread to be dunked in it and it’s absolutely out of this world delicious.
Featuring Tuscan kale, also called Lacinato kale or Cavalo Nero, a rich homemade veggie broth and lots of earthy flavors from cannellini beans and winter squash.
A Real Zuppa Toscana aka Zuppa di Fagioli Bianchi!
I swapped the traditional parmesan rind for food for you nutritional yeast to make it super delicious and as healthy as can be without any added fat or cholesterol. No ham hock, no bacon, no chorizo, only real and kind ingredients. After all, animal products are so 1800s and late, nobody needs that negativity in their lives and our bodies.
But how to make creamy bean soup without heavy cream you ask?
Very easy! Once fully cooked just transfer about two cups of the soup to your blender and puree until silky smooth. Stir it back into the soup pot for a creamy but still rustic texture.
Let’s Talk Flavor!
- I used a base of flavorful leeks and acorn winter squash in my recipe, however you could use butternut or kabocha squash, sweet potatoes and even just a couple of large carrots will work just fine in this. Use what is available!
- If you fancy a little smokiness in your soup just add a touch of liquid smoke. Strat with about 1/4 teaspoon and work your way up from there, don’t use too much as not to ruin a great thing.
Why you’ll love this soup
Simple to make
Restorative
Quick & Easy
Comforting & Warming
Rich in Protein + Micronutrients
Eaethy, Hearty + Healthy!
Tips + FAQ
- Can I use dried beans instead of canned? – Absolutely yes! Just remember to soak in advance and cook them separately with aromatics and herbs before adding them to the soup. If you are going to cook beans from scratch I suggest making at least two or three cups and storing leftovers for later uses. I do that when making my black bean soup and it never goes to waste.
- Can you freeze Tuscan bean soup? You sure can. Most soups usually freeze very well, store in small portions in glass containers for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
- What exactly are cannellini beans? – They are kidney shaped Italian beans with a mild yet earthy nutty flavor and super creamy texture. They can be replaced in recipes with navy or northern beans. (Note worthy: During the rise of the Roman Empire beans were used for voting. The white was a YES, the black was a NO. The more you know, right?! )
How to Make Tuscan White Bean Kale Soup with Dried Beans
- Rinse 2-3 cups of dried beans well then place them in a large bowl covered with cold water by 2 inches. Soak for at least 5 hours and up to 8. After soaking make sure to drain and rinse the beans in a colander again, then transfer them to a heavy bottom stock pot.
- Cover the beans with 3 inches of water, add some herbs and aromatics (bay leaves, fresh rosemary, 1/2 onion, carrot, garlic and a pinch of coarse salt. Bring to a rapid simmer, cover and cook for one hour or until the beans are cooked through, soft and creamy to your liking.
Slow Cooker Method
- Combine all of the soup ingredient in a slow cooker except the kale or leafy greens.
- Cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours, or on LOW 7 to 8 hours.
- Add the kale in. the last 15 minutes of cooking. Adjust seasonings and serve with extra nutritional yeast on the side.
Watch How to Make it on the Stovetop
Tuscan White Bean Kale Soup
The best Tuscan White Bean Kale Soup recipe with winter squash, leeks, lacinato kale and creamy cannellini beans. Super easy to make, without meat, 100% vegan and gluten free!
Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 15 oz canned cannellini beans (drained, or 2 cups homemade cooked beans)
- 1/2 acorn squash (4-5 cups) (or kabocha squash)
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale (about 3 packed cups)
- 6 cups veggie stock (low-sodium)
- 1/2 leek (or 1 small yellow onion) -chopped
- 2 cloves garlic -minced
- 6 sprigs thyme
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary -chopped
- 2 leaves bay
- 3 tbsp vegan Parmesan or nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- sea salt & black pepper to taste
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes (OPTIONAL)
- 1/4 tsp liquid smoke (OPTIONAL)
- lemon wedges for serving
Instructions
- Slice the leeks then rinse them well in a colander with cold water.
- Preheat a heavy bottom stock pot over medium flame and add a splash of water and the cleaned leeks with a pinch of sea salt. Saute for a few minutes until they have collapsed and begin to caramelize. (add more liquid if needed to make sure they don’t burn).
- Meanwhile rinse the squash, discard the seeds and cut it into one inch pieces. Add it to the pot with the leeks together with the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Give everything a good stir and add the minced garlic and garlic powder. Stir again and pour in the veggie stock.
- Bring the soup to a simmer then add the vegan parmesan (or nutritional yeast) and cook for about 25 minutes until the squash is cooked through.
- Add the cooked beans to the soup and simmer until warm. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Taste and adjust seasonings with sea salt and black pepper to your taste.
- Transfer two cups of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Add the puree back into the soup pot and mix to combine.
- Rinse the kale well and remove the stems. Chop it into small pieces and add it to the soup. Cook a couple of minutes until wilted. Serve hot with a pinch of the red pepper flakes and lemon wedges on the side.
Slow Cooker Method:
- Combine all of the soup ingredients in a slow cooker except the kale. Cook on HIGH 3 to 4 hours, or on LOW 7 to 8 hours.
- Add the kale in the last 15 to minutes of cooking. Serve hot with extra nutritional yeast on the side.
Video
Notes
- Nowadays I make most recipes oil-free and WFPB compliant. If you insist of adding some olive oil to this soup just add it at the very end before serving.
- Only use the liquid smoke if you want to give your soup a smoky flavor. Start with very little and work your way up as it can be overpowering.
Nutrition
Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 43g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1212mg | Potassium: 1151mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 7855IU | Vitamin C: 91.3mg | Calcium: 216mg | Iron: 5.6mg
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 226kcal
Soup Recipes:
I made this soup and loved it! The rosemary and thyme gave it a really good flavor. I will definitely be making it again! Thank you for sharing your recipes!
So glad you loved it Julie, I really love cooking with fresh thyme and rosemary can be such a nice addition when it isn’t overpowering.
I made this tonight and it was just luscious- the broth was so good. I’m making of agalin tomorrow only doubling the recipe this time. I love the recipes you share, thanks so much.
This makes me so happy! Thank you for taking the time to report back ~ Florentina Xo’s
This soup is absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing.
The video shows skin-on squash. It’s not too tough?
Hi Lyn, the skin cooks really nicely and softens up, you could always remove afterwards but I like to cook it skin on as it ads really nice flavor to the soup. Let me know how it goes ~ Florentina Xo’s
Loved this recipe and how flexible it is! I used chickpeas I in place of the beans, and sweet potato in place of the squash. Super flavorful and will be making again! Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved it Jessica and thank you so much for reporting back ~ Florentina Xo’s
Oh my goodness! This is the tastiest vegan soup I have ever made. Not only do the herbs enhance the flavor, but the nutritional yeast puts it over the top. I didn’t have Lasinato (sp?) kale so substituted curly green and it worked well. Thank you for your recipes. I look forward to making more of them.
Woohoo! This totally made my day, thanks for reporting back Mary ~ Florentina Xo’s
I made this recipe last night. I always have my family “rate” the new recipes I try. Upon first taste, my husband didn’t care for this one, but after I suggested he try it with the red pepper flakes and lemon wedge, he said it was much better.
My picky 13 year old, said it was A LOT of kale, but he couldn’t really taste it, so it was ok. He ate the whole bowl without complaint, plugging his nose, or “spitting out” anything.
My 14?year old son who will pretty much eat anything, said it was the beast kale soup he’s ever had, and I had to force him to stop eating it after 3 bowls full.
All in all, I think it was a hit. Thanks so much for sharing your recipe.
Thanks for reporting back Audrey! Sounds like a hit to me too and your 14 year old son is my favorite critic, he sounds totally honest and legit and clearly knows good food haha ~ Florentina Xo’s
Can I use Butternut Squash?
You could but that will alter the flavor of the soup and make it sweeter.
Delicious! made just as shown in the recipe with some liquid smoke.Thank you!
Can you add a facebook share button?
Just started adding a Pin banner as FB buttons have been slowing down the page too much. Copy and paste works best right now 🙂
LOVED this recipe. I doubled it and added an extra can of white beans and some carrots and skipped the blending part cuz I prefer a chunkier soup. This was soo good.
Looks delicious! What makes the sodium level so high?
It’s probably the veggie stock as the recipe card doesn’t have a low-sodium option so it calculated it with a standard veggie stock. So the sodium level will depend on the stock you use, best to make your own and take it easy on the salt ~ Florentina Xo’s
I used smoked paprika instead of liquid smoke worked awesome!
Hi. Just made and ate a bowl of the soup. Very tasty and will make it again and again. I’m not f fan of leeks or squash, but I used onion along with carrots and a sweet potato. It was perfect! Love the splash of lemon and red pepper flakes also!
This soup is one of our favouirtes. I always double the batch. I’ve not tried the slow cooker method, but I’m giving it a shot today with the pressure cooker as I’m short on time…:)
This is the most amazing soup! I made it for my family last night and everyone loved it. It’s so hard to get my kids to eat healthy so this is perfect! I’m hoping to make a double batch and freeze half for next week… any ideas if this would effect the outcome of the recipe? Thanks!
So stoked you all loved it Amara! You can definitely double batch if you have a huge enough pot hehe. Enjoy!
Love the soup, we didn’t have leeks or kabocha so I substituted with carrots, yukon gold and onions it came out delish! Thank you will make it again soon!!!