Friends, it’s no secret we love soup, and this creamy Tuscan-inspired version with white beans and kale is our new favorite for fall and winter! It’s hearty, warming, comforting, SO flavorful, and packed with nourishing veggies and fiber-rich beans. Basically, a hug in a bowl.
It’s ideal for meal prep or freezing and comes together easily in just 1 pot! While satisfying on its own, we also love it with Vegan Garlic Bread, Spicy Tempeh Sausage, or turkey meatballs (recipe coming soon). Let us show you how it’s done!
Recipe Inspiration
This soup is inspired by our 1-Pot Tuscan Style Beef & Lentil Soup, but this version is plant-based and draws inspiration from Tuscan soups like zuppa di fagioli and ribollita.
How to Make Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup
As with most good soups, this one starts with a savory base of sautéed onion, carrots, and celery.
Next, we add tomato paste for richness, red pepper flakes for heat, and dried rosemary or thyme for herby goodness. Garlic is a must for an Italian-inspired soup, and basil, too!
Next comes the vegetable broth, white beans, tomatoes, and salt and pepper, bringing us into soup territory.
After simmering to develop the flavors, we lightly purée the mixture to break up some of the beans and create more cohesiveness. But if you want to keep it a little chunky, or don’t have an immersion blender, feel free to skip this step!
Then it’s time for the kale, or whatever greens you have around (spinach, collards, or chard work, too!).
The final touches are balsamic vinegar for sweetness and depth of flavor and coconut milk (or cashew cream) for dairy-free creaminess.
We hope you LOVE this soup! It’s:
Hearty
Nourishing
Creamy
Warming
Subtly spicy
& SO comforting!
Enjoy it on its own or top with fresh basil, Vegan Parmesan Cheese, and Garlicky Homemade Croutons for extra freshness, saltiness, and crunch. It also pairs nicely with protein-packed dishes like Spicy Tempeh Sausage or turkey meatballs (recipe coming soon!).
More Comforting Soup Recipes
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Servings 5 (~1 ½ cup servings)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil (if oil-free, sub twice the amount of water)
- 1/2 large yellow onion, diced (1/2 large onion yields ~ 1 ½ cups or 170 g)
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (2 carrots yield ~3/4 cup or 100 g)
- 2 large stalks celery, diced (2 stalks celery yield ~1 ¼ cup or 150 g)
- 3/4 tsp sea salt (DIVIDED // plus more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper (DIVIDED)
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced (4 cloves yield ~2 Tbsp or 18 g)
- 1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 Tbsp freshly chopped rosemary or thyme (or sub 1 tsp dried)
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 3 cups vegetable broth (or store-bought)
- 2 (15-oz.) cans white beans, drained and rinsed (we prefer cannellini // or ~3 ½ cups cooked homemade beans)
- 1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups chopped kale leaves (or sub baby spinach)
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk (or sub cashew cream)
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Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few cracks of fresh black pepper, and cook (stirring occasionally) until softened — about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary (or thyme), and basil and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
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Add the broth, beans, tomatoes, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the veggies are fork-tender and the flavors are well developed.
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Optional (skip this step if you prefer a chunkier soup): Use an immersion blender to purée the soup in short bursts, only puréeing part of the soup (mostly the beans) and leaving plenty of whole pieces of vegetables.
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Return the soup to a light simmer. Then add the kale, turn off the heat, and cover the pot for 5 minutes. Once the kale is softened, uncover the pot and stir in the vinegar and coconut milk (or cashew cream). Taste and adjust as needed, adding more red pepper flakes for heat, vinegar or tomato paste for richness, coconut milk for creaminess, or salt for overall flavor.
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Serve warm garnished with vegan parmesan cheese, thinly sliced basil, and croutons (all optional).
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Store cooled leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month. Thaw from frozen before reheating. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a saucepan or pot over medium heat (covered) until warmed through. Add more broth or water as needed to thin.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.
Serving: 1 serving Calories: 303 Carbohydrates: 40.4 g Protein: 11.3 g Fat: 10.9 g Saturated Fat: 6.4 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4 g Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 928 mg Potassium: 906 mg Fiber: 11.7 g Sugar: 9.5 g Vitamin A: 4425 IU Vitamin C: 22 mg Calcium: 150 mg Iron: 3.8 mg