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.
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