This smooth Lemony White Bean Soup with Kale is a delicious combination of flavours - zesty lemon combined with velvety white beans and hearty vegetables, all seasoned to perfection. This nutritious soup is delicious topped with croutons, fresh parsley and cracked black pepper.
Made in under 40 minutes, this white bean lemon soup is well balanced, making it a wholesome and filling lunch or dinner. I love that this soup recipe is not only dairy free and gluten free, but easily vegan as well!
If you're a lover of lemon then this soup is definitely for you! And if you're looking for more white bean soup recipes then you might like to try my Chicken Minestrone Soup. Searching for lime flavours? Try my Vegetarian Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup.
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Things to Love About Lemony White Bean Soup With Kale
- Nutritious - this soup is a delicious way of getting in a heap of nutrients. With healthy fats, 16 grams of protein per serve, complex carbohydrates and 9 grams of fibre per serve, this meal will have you feeling full and satisfied!
- Lemon flavour - using both fresh lemon zest and juice, this soup delivers a beautiful lemon flavour in every mouthful.
- Allergy friendly - this soup is dairy free, nut free and gluten free. Easily make vegan by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- One pot meal - make this entire recipe in one pot! Less cleaning up and less fuss!
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
This humble soup is made using easy to find, simple ingredients. Read onto for ingredients notes and any possible substitutions. As usual, you can find the ingredient quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Celery - celery is a highly nutritious vegetable. It is used as an aromatic to increase flavour.
- Onion & Garlic - these immune promoting foods are anti-inflammatory and add a beautiful flavour to this dish. If you don't have fresh garlic on hand you could also use garlic paste.
- Carrot - I've used medium sized carrots for this recipe.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil - I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil as it is not as processed as regular olive oil, meaning that it retains more nutrients then the more processed olive oil. You can also use avocado oil or butter instead of olive oil.
- White Potatoes - potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates and fibre, contributing to good gut health. I've used washed white potatoes and therefore have left the skin on. If you only have brushed potatoes on hand, make sure you wash them well and peel them if you can't remove all of the dirt. White potatoes that work well in this recipe include dutch cream potatoes, kipfler potatoes or russet potatoes.
- White Beans - beans are an excellent source of plant based protein as well as being high in fibre. In this recipe I have used butter beans but you can use any white bean you have on hand like cannelinni beans, broad beans or navy beans.
- Chicken Stock - You can use either chicken or vegetable stock or broth. If you would like to use homemade broth then try my homemade vegetable stock or chicken broth.
- Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice - lemon is a key ingredient in this recipe. I have used the juice and zest of 1 lemon, which is equivelant to approximately 1 tablespoon lemon zest and 60 millilitres (¼ cup) of lemon juice.
- Kale - I have used two stems of curly kale, also known as dinosaur kale. You can also use Tuscan kale (locinato kale) or even baby spinach or silverbeet.
- Fresh Curly Parsley - I've used finely chopped curly parsley, you could also use other fresh herbs like flat leaf parsley, marjorim or oregano.
- Croutons - croutons are optional. I've used store bought gluten free croutons.
- Sea salt & Cracked black pepper
How to Make Lemony White Bean Soup
Making this delicious Lemony White Bean and Kale Soup is quick and easy! Here's how:
First, heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the finely chopped onions and diced carrots and celery to the pot and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent.
Add the minced garlic to the pan and stir through, sauteing until fragrant.
Next, add the stock or broth, rinsed beans, diced potatoes, lemon juice and lemon zest and stir to combine. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, simmering until the carrots and potatoes are tender.
Once the vegetables are tender, turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. While the soup is piping hot, stir through the roughly chopped kale and finely chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper, taste and adjust with more salt and/or pepper if needed.
Serve this creamy white bean soup hot, topped with croutons, finely chopped fresh parsley and cracked black pepper. If you like extra spice, top with red pepper flakes.
For a Creamier Soup Without Adding Cream
Many white bean soup recipes contain whole white beans. To make this soup thick and creamy, I recommend blending this soup. The beans and potatoes create a thick, creamy and luscious soup that is filled with flavour!
FAQ
Yes! This lemony white bean soup freezes really well. Once the soup is room temperature, simply transfer to a heat proof airtight container two thirds of the way, place the lid on securely and freeze for up to 6 months. Freeze in individual portion sizes for easier reheating.
Yes. This healthy soup is filled with vegetables, legumes and broth. This soup contains 16 grams of protein per serve and 9 grams of fibre along with a variety of other nutrients.
Butter beans work really well for white bean soup but you can also use harricot beans, navy beans, cannellini beans or great northern beans.
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Wooden Spoon
- Large saucepan
- Immersion blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- 2 celery stalks leaves removed, finely diced
- 1 brown onion finely diced
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 2 medium potatoes diced
- 1.5 litres chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 50 mL lemon juice
- 800 grams canned butter beans strained and rinsed
- 2 stalks curly kale hard stems removed, leaves finely chopped
- 1 small handful curly leaf parsley finely chopped
- salt
- cracked black pepper
To Serve
- 1 cup croutons gluten free
- curly parsley finely chopped
- cracked black pepper
- chilli flakes optional
Instructions
- Bring olive oil to a medium heat in a large saucepan or dutch oven.
- Add brown onion, diced carrots and diced celery. Sauté until the onion is tender and aromatic. Add garlic and continue to sauté for a further 2 minutes.
- Add diced potatoes, stock, lemon juice, lemon zest and white beans. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce to a simmer. Place the lid on and leave to simmer for around 15 minutes, or until potatoes and carrots are tender.
- Once potato and carrots are tender, turn off the heat and use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.
- Add the kale and parsley and stir through. Once the kale is soft and tender, serve.
- Turn heat off and serve soup warm topped with croutons, fresh parsley and cracked black pepper. Top with chilli flakes if a little spice is desired.
Notes
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.Vegan Option
To make vegan, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.Nutrition
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Libby
Hello,
This looks delicious and something we might have for dinner, but we have a TON of kidney beans and no white beans. Do you think it would still work?
x
SarahB
Hello lovely! Totally! You could even add a tin of tomatoes, some cumin, paprika and oregano for a Mexican style soup. Or replace the white beans for tofu instead if you have some on hand. So many options! xx
Andrea
Delicious and satisfying. I recommend slowly adding lemon juice to taste and seasoning with salt and pepper.
I am definitely making this again.
Sarah Bell
I'm so glad you loved it! That's such a great suggestion for adding the lemon in gradually - I'll add that into my blog post, thank you!