Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup
Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup is cozy, savory, and full of flavor and nutrition. A healthier, whole foods spin on Zuppa Toscana.
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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.
The nutrition information provided on Sarah’s Vegan Kitchen is an estimate and is offered for general informational purposes only. Values will vary depending on the specific brands and amounts used.