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Cozy up this fall/winter with hearty kale vegetable bean soup — a comforting, nourishing, satisfying, protein-packed vegan meal with beans, veggies, and kale!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Vegetable bean soup is like a cozy hug, warming you from the inside out—it’s wholesome, comforting, and nourishing. Made with canned beans, a medley of vegetables, and powerhouse kale (or spinach), it’s a simple, hearty meal loaded with fiber, plant-based protein, nutrients, and antioxidants to get you through fall/winter.
Made with simple pantry staples and budget-friendly ingredients, kale bean soup is a one-pot wonder that’s light yet filling, rustic yet elegant, and 100% satisfying. Plus, it’s versatile, too, and a great “clean out the fridge” meal. Whether you’re prepping ahead or need a quick, wholesome dinner, this naturally vegan, gluten-free soup is enjoyed on repeat in my house.
Looking for more soups to keep you warm this fall/winter? Try black bean soup, vegan lasagna soup, and/or garlic ginger soup.
Ingredient Notes
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients, quantities, and substitutes.
Recipe Variations
- Leek: For ‘buttery’, mild oniony flavor – sub or add to the onion with sliced leek.
- Bay leaves: Add 1-2 while the soup simmers for savory depth.
- Smoked paprika: For subtle smokiness in the vegetable and bean soup.
- Tomato paste: Add a little for richer tomato flavor.
- Vegan parmesan cheese: (or nutritional yeast) To garnish.
- More vegetables: Fresh/frozen green beans, peas, zucchini, mushrooms, etc.
- Parsley: To garnish the bean and kale soup.
- More protein: Like vegan sausage, chick’n, or cubed tofu.
- Vegan butter: Stir in a little before serving the kale bean soup for velvety richness.
How to Make Vegetable Bean Soup with Kale
Step 1: First, dice the onion, celery, sweet potato, and carrot, mince the garlic, and break the broccoli/cauliflower into small florets. Also, chop the kale. Then, heat the oil over medium-high in a large, heavy-based pan. Once hot, sauté the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic for 3-4 minutes or until the onion is tender and translucent.
Step 2: Add the remaining veg, canned tomatoes, beans, vegetable stock (or bouillon cubes + water), seasonings, salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
To ribbon/chop kale, remove the leaves from the tough stems, roll a small stack of leaves, and slice across (or make a small stack and use kitchen scissors to ‘chop’). Spinach can be left whole.
Step 3: Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Taste the vegetable kale soup once more, adjust the lemon/seasonings to taste, and enjoy.
FAQs
That’s entirely up to you. The peels are edible, but some prefer it without.
Sure! Soak 1 ½ cup of beans in a bowl of cold water overnight. Drain, rinse, and cover with fresh water in a saucepan. Simmer until tender (1-4 hours, depending on the bean). At that point, they’re ready for this vegetable bean soup recipe.
Sauté the veg first for more depth, then throw everything in the crockpot and cook the bean and kale soup recipe for 6-7 hours on LOW or 2-3 hours on HIGH. Stir in the kale/spinach and lemon juice in the last few minutes.
Pro Recipe Tips
- To make it oil–free: Use ¼ cup broth to sauté the vegetables instead.
- Sauté the veggies well: If they start to brown lightly, even better, as this adds a deeper flavor to the kale bean potato soup.
- Season to taste: Taste it at the end and adjust if needed.
- To adjust the consistency: You can decide how much (if any) of the soup to blend for a thicker, creamier soup.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy a portion of this kale and bean soup as a side or main with:
- Air fryer chickpeas, and/or crispy baked kale chips
- No knead bread, easy vegan dinner rolls, vegan focaccia bread, or sweet potato cornbread
- A simple side salad – like a green salad, roasted beet and kale salad, or vegan Caesar salad
You could add cooked pasta/rice to the vegetable soup with kale for a heartier meal.
Storage Information
Store: Store bean and vegetable soup in airtight containers in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Freeze: In portioned Ziplock’s/Stashers, souper cubes, or a silicone muffin tray for 3-4 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: In a microwave (30-second increments, stirring between) or on the stove over medium-low heat until piping hot. You may need extra broth/water.
Kale Vegetable Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 2 ribs of celery
- 2 carrots diced or sliced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 head of broccoli or cauliflower cut into florets (or one bag of frozen)
- 1 large sweet potato diced
- 1 bunch of kale finely chopped
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can of diced tomatoes in their juices
- 3 (15-ounce) cans of beans (your choice) drained and rinsed
- 6 cups of water
- 4 vegetable bouillon cubes
- 1 teaspoon of oregano or Italian seasoning optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 squeeze of lemon juice optional
- Hot sauce optional
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, add the oil. Once the oil is heated, add in the onion, celery, carrots, and garlic. Saute for about 3 or 4 minutes, or until onions become tender and translucent.
- Add in the broccoli or cauliflower, potatoes, kale, tomatoes in their juices, beans, water, bouillon cubes, seasonings, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover, and let it simmer for 20 minutes. You’ll know it’s finished if the potatoes are tender.
Notes
- To make it oil–free: Use ¼ cup broth to sauté the vegetables instead.
- Sauté the veggies well: If they start to brown lightly, even better, as this adds a deeper flavor to the kale bean potato soup.
- Season to taste: Taste it at the end and adjust if needed.
- To adjust the consistency: You can decide how much (if any) of the soup to blend for a thicker, creamier soup.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Such a hearty soup!