When the days are slightly cooler, you want a meal that is warm, filling, and comforting. This kale soup is exactly the recipe you’ve been craving, whether you know it or not. It is a light broth that contains nutritionally dense ingredients and aromatic spices, such as thyme and rosemary. The squeeze of lemon gives this hearty soup a delicately bright finish that makes each spoonful better than the last. So if you are looking for a dish that is equal parts healthy, delicious, and cozy, this soup is it!
When it comes to making a great vegetable soup, it’s all about layering flavors. First and foremost, you have to sauté the aromatics. Cooking the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic with the rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper helps to give somewhat of a caramelized flavor. You don’t want to cook them fully; rather, you just want to par-cook them until they are nice and fragrant. You’ll add the beans and broth to the same pot and then bring to a boil before reducing to a low simmer. Only add the kale in the last few minutes of cooking, or else it will get too soft. You want the kale to retain some texture when you spoon the soup into bowls. The same goes for the lemon juice, because you want the soup to retain that tang when you slurp it up.
When it comes to kale, you can choose the variety you enjoy best. You can opt for green curly kale, Tuscan kale, lacinato kale, or even dinosaur kale. Don’t have kale on hand or can’t find it in the grocery store? You can swap it for another sturdy green, such as Swiss chard or collard greens. Just make sure to taste and season the soup as you go. Some of you may prefer more lemon juice, while others want to add more black pepper or rosemary. Feel free to experiment with flavors, even though this recipe is solid as a rock!
- Prep Time:10m
- Cook Time:30m
- Total Time:40m
- Serves: 4 servings
- Category: Soups & Stews, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 tsp. sea salt, or more to taste
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 (14-oz) cans low-sodium white beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 c low-sodium vegetable broth
- 6 c kale leaves, chopped and thick stems removed
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. After about 30 seconds, add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, rosemary, sea salt, thyme, and a few grinds of pepper.
- Cook for about eight minutes, stirring occasionally. Veggies should be slightly softened before you pour the beans and broth into the pot.
- Increase the heat and bring the entire soup to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- In the last five minutes of cooking, add the kale and lemon juice. Stir the kale into the soup so that it can cook.
- Remove the soup from the heat and ladle into bowls. Enjoy immediately!
