Last month I shared my recipe for a vegan copycat version of Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana: a creamy soup with potatoes, kale, and spicy vegan Italian sausage. It’s the definition of comfort food and became a fast favorite in our home. This Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup is a whole foods, plant-based version of that recipe that doesn’t sacrifice any of the flavor or coziness.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love this Kale and White Bean Soup
It’s budget-friendly. I added all the ingredients to an online grocery pickup cart and the total came out to $11.57 (not including the dried spices, which I already had hanging around in my pantry). That brings the cost-per-serving to just under $2 — and you’ll also have some leftover celery to toss into another recipe that week.
Healthy & whole foods plant-based. This recipe is similar to my Vegan Zuppa Toscana, except we’re leaving out the plant-based Italian sausage and opting for white beans as our protein.
Quick and easy! After a little bit of prep work, the soup comes together in one pot in under 30 minutes (and most of that time is just letting it all simmer).
Ingredients for Kale and White Bean Soup
- Mirepoix and olive oil. Diced onion, carrot and celery, plus plenty of minced garlic. Sautéed in some good extra-virgin olive oil, these form an aromatic and flavorful base for our soup.
- White beans. I like cannellini beans the best, because they’re super soft and creamy. Great Northern beans will work great too. Actually, really any variety of bean that you enjoy will be a fine substitution!
- Potatoes. I like gold potatoes (or other waxy varieties) best because they hold their shape a little better than russets. But either kind will work just fine in this recipe! I personally hate potato skins, but it’s up to you whether you want to peel them.
- Kale. I prefer Tuscan kale (aka “lacinato” or “dinosaur kale”) for this recipe. It’s the kind that’s thinner and darker than curly kale. Either variety will work, but Tuscan kale is a bit more tender so it cooks up beautifully in soups. If you’re not a kale junkie like me, feel free to sub in spinach or a different kind of green.
- Vegetable broth. Typically I use chicken-style veggie broth for soups, but in this veggie-forward recipe, regular veggie broth is just as delicious in my opinion! Use whatever you have in your pantry, and simply adjust the salt as needed depending on the sodium content of your broth.
- Dried thyme, rosemary, and basil. I have a bad habit of buying fresh herbs, using only a little bit for a dish, and letting the rest go bad. So I just used dried herbs for this recipe. Feel free to sub in fresh herbs if you like! And you can use really any kind that you like and have on hand.
How to Make Kale and White Bean Soup
- Sauté the mirepoix. Sauté onion, celery, carrots and garlic in olive oil for a few minutes until tender and fragrant.
- Add in the beans, potatoes, broth and herbs. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Add in the kale. Stir it in and cook for about 3-5 minutes, until it’s wilted and tender.
- Finish with optional cashew cream. Stir in the cream (or whatever substitute you’re using), and let it heat for another minute or so.
- Enjoy! I love to garnish mine with a little bit of grated vegan parm.
Tips and Substitutions
Beans. I think some variety of white bean (cannellini, Great Northern, butter beans) works best in this soup, because they have a soft and buttery texture that makes the soup a little extra creamy. In a pinch, you can substitute in a different kind of bean or lentil.
Cashew cream. I like to add this because it gives the soup just a slightly creamier mouthfeel, but it’s not enough to make the soup feel very heavy or thick (like, say, a chowder). But if you don’t have cashews or prefer not to cook with them, you could try using a store-bought vegan cream substitute like the kind Silk or Country Crock make. Or you could use a plain unsweetened plant milk (like a store-bought cashew or oat milk) — just make sure it’s something you think would taste good in a savory context. Otherwise, just leave it out. The soup will still taste good!
Thicker/creamier soup. If you want to make this feel a little chunkier and more “stew-like,” you can use your immersion blender to blend it up partially. This works especially well because the creamy white beans and potatoes will thicken the soup.
Storage & Reheating
Store Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup in the fridge in a sealed container for about 5 days. This is also a dish that freezes beautifully! It keeps well for up to 2 months in the freezer. It’s great to have on-hand in that way to defrost and reheat when you need an easy weeknight meal that’s delicious and healthy. Simply reheat in a pan on the stove, or in the microwave.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
- Spiced Carrot and Lentil Soup – One-pot, budget-friendly and super flavorful.
- Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup – One-pot, healthy, and budget-friendly.
- Gochujang Tofu – Spicy, savory and protein-packed.
- Butternut Squash Curry – One-pot, autumnal, warm and cozy.
Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup
Video
Equipment
- knife and cutting board
- large pot or Dutch oven
- wooden spoon
- high-speed blender if making homemade cashew cream
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 stalks celery chopped
- 2 medium carrots peeled and chopped
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 (15 oz) cans white beans (Great Northern or cannellini) drained and rinsed
- 3-4 small Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cubed
- 4 packed cups Tuscan (lacinato) kale about 1 bunch, stalks removed, thinly sliced
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or sub any dried herbs you like
- 1 cup homemade cashew cream recipe follows, or see notes for substitutions below
- salt and pepper to preference
Homemade Cashew Cream
- 1/2 cup raw cashews soaked 4+ hours or overnight
- 3/4 cup water
Garnish Recommendations
- vegan Parmesan shreds (we love Follow Your Heart vegan parm)
- fresh chopped basil or parsley
- fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Homemade Cashew Cream
- In a high powered blender, blend soaked raw cashews and fresh water together until completely smooth.
Tuscan Kale & White Bean Soup
- Heat the oil: Add olive oil to a large pot, and heat over medium until oil shimmers. Sprinkle in red pepper flakes, if using, and bloom for ~30 seconds.
- Sauté aromatics: Add in diced onion, diced celery, diced carrots, and minced garlic. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
- Cook the potatoes: Add in cubed Yukon gold potatoes, drained and rinsed white beans, 6 cups vegetable broth, and dried herbs (1/2 teaspoon dried basil, 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, and 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low or low to establish a rapid simmer. Simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Cook the kale: Stir in the sliced Tuscan kale. Let the soup come back up to a rapid simmer for another 3-5 minutes, or until kale is wilted and tender. (If you prefer your kale very soft, you can add it about 5 minutes after the potatoes.)
- Add cream: Stir in the cashew cream and cook for just another minute to warm through.
- Adjust: Taste and adjust salt and pepper to preference.
- Enjoy! I love topping this with a little shredded vegan parm, chopped fresh basil, extra red pepper flakes, and sometimes a drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil. Goes great with a slice or two of crusty bread.
Notes
- White beans: Cannellini beans might be more traditional in this recipe, but I actually have a preference for Great Northern beans. I find them to be a bit creamier because they have thinner skins. But either kind will work, as will other kinds of beans like chickpeas or butter beans.
- Without cashew cream: This can be omitted altogether and the soup will still taste great — it will just have a light broth rather than a creamy one. For a similar thickening effect, you can blitz the soup a little with an immersion blender before adding the kale.
- Cashew cream substitutes: You can use a vegan heavy cream substitute (Silk, Country Crock, and Forager have options, to name just a few). Canned full-fat coconut milk is an option, but it will give a mild coconut flavor. You could also substitute a plain, unsweetened plant milk (something like oat milk or store-bought cashew milk) but it won’t make the soup quite as creamy.
- Kale substitutions: You can sub in spinach if you’re not a fan of kale. Or you can use any kind of fresh greens that you like. Spinach won’t need to cook as long as kale, so you can add it a minute or two later.
- Fresh herbs: Feel free to add in fresh chopped herbs if you have them. Usually you’ll want to add about 3x the volume of fresh herbs compared to dry.
- Italian seasoning: If you don’t keep individual dried herbs in your pantry, feel free to just add about 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning.
Just made this. It was extremely easy. I’ve never made cashew cream, I’m so impressed. It really made it so creamy. I added double the seasoning because I love extra. Perfect blend of spices. I had some extra asparagus so I added it when I added in the carrots. Absolutely amazing! I’m looking forward to trying more of your recipes. This wasn’t my first from y’all. THANK YOU. 🫶🏽♥️
Thanks so much for the kind words, Stephanie! I appreciate it. And oh my goodness, asparagus sounds like an AMAZING addition! I might have to try that myself sometime soon.
Delicious recipe, quick and easy to prepare and so comforting on a chilly autumn evening! I made it with no creamy component from cashew cream, nondairy options or immersion blending, etc. The beans I used (1 can borlotti and 1 can butter beans) added a creaminess all their own, as some of the beans fell apart a bit naturally in the cooking. This soup was even better the next day! Highly recommend!!
Thanks Lisa! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. I’ve never heard of borlotti beans and now you’ve got me curious! Might have to see where I can find some myself.
Awesome recipe. Made it for dinner tonight. My husband ate 4 bowls, ha! Even my super picky kid ate it. (Well…she soaked her bread in it and ate the bread – but this is a win in my book.) It’s going into the “Must Make Again” file. Thank you!
The second time I’ve made one of your recipes, both have been huge successes. Really easy and simple but very flavourful. Love it! Thank you!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it again and again. So easy, delicious and satisfying.
100/10! Made a few adjustments (added garlic & onion powder, quartered baby gold potatoes, and added about 2 extra cups of broth) and it turned out great. Will definitely be making this again!
This soup is delicious! Family loved it and happily eating leftovers. I added in a handful of chopped parsley at the end. Thank you!
It’s a great easy recipe. I grow my Tuscan kale and this turned out perfect. I did replace the cashew cream with almond.
can this soup be frozen?
Ohemgee. This is my *third* time trying to post a detailed positive review. Every time I get near the end, the page refreshes and I lose all my work. Why??
So I will just say we loved this recipe. It was delicious, filling, and easy to make out of ingredients I already had at home—no difficult sourcing of expensive ingredients, just simply delicious plant-based whole-foods. We used half a can of coconut cream bc it’s what we had on hand and it was perfect.
Makes great leftovers! Reheats well. Thank you, Sarah!
Girl, I’m obsessed w this recipe. It’s in my regular rotation, and I make it every time I get sick. I’ve made it so many times that now I sort of freestyle it based on what I have on hand. I never leave recipe reviews but had to show you some love on this one!
I’ve made a copycat version of zuppa toscana for years (with pork sausage) and my family loves it. We went vegan for a few months and I took inspiration from your recipe. The carrots and celery add extra flavor. Fresh rosemary also elevates. I almost always make it with Garbanzo beans, which I make from dried. I soak them overnight and then cook in plenty of water with salt and ground Fennel and corriander seeds in a pressure cooker. The fennel gives a satisfying reminder of that familiar flavor from Italian sausage in this soup, and pressure cooking yields such tender creamy beans, without those tough skins you tend to get in cans. While we have returned to eating meat on occasion, I never make this soup with meat anymore… I actually think it’s better this way. And thanks for the lead on Edward & Sons vegan buillion. I sought them out and love them, they’re all I use now.
I’ve been transitioning into plant based eating this past year and it’s recipes like these that keep me on track. Su yummy!! This hearty soup was perfect for a chilly day and my family loved it. I added a little wine to deglaze the pan and gave it a few pulses with an emersion blender to get it a little creamier. Thanks for sharing!
I made a lot of changes due to not wanting to go to the shops, but this was a great base recipe.
I made a modified soffrito with fennel instead of onion because I had 2/3rd of a big bulb left. Let that cook out with chili flakes and then added the potatoes, beans, mushroom stock (all I had), onion and garlic powder, bay leaves, some nutritional yeast, and lots of salt. Let that all cook and then mixed in a thing of soy cream. Served with big sourdough croutons and some fennel fronds. Next time I will make it as written, but this was already excellent, and made me realize I don’t have any dried herbs for European dishes.
Delicious! I added 2 extra cups of broth. No changes to the spices. Used quartered unpeeled small potato. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe! I will cook again and get to this website to try out other soup recipes. To my surprise, cashew milk is super easy to make at home!
Absolutely lovely, I blended 1 can of beans with the cashews and only did 4 cups of stock. Perfect consistency for me, will make again
Is this possible to throw in a slow cooker?