My Mediterranean Cannellini Bean and Kale Soup is as nourishing as it is comforting and satisfying. It is an Italian-inspired one pot dish, one that is worthy of a regular place in your meal plans. Packed with vegetables and beans cooked in a full of flavour broth, it is a complete meal that requires no more than some crusty bread to accompany it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- We make this complete meal in just one pot, so there’s less to clean up.
- It is ideal for meal prep. Double the recipe and freeze some containers to use in future.
- The large variety of vegetables produces a colourful mix of flavours and textures.
- You can easily customise the vegetables in this soup to suit your family’s taste; switch them up for those you prefer or have on hand.
- It is suitable for many people with specific dietary requirements as it is naturally gluten-free, nut-free and dairy free if you omit the Parmesan.
- We slightly thicken the soup and make it creamier by blending one of the tins of beans before adding to the broth.
Recipe Inspiration: this Cannellini Bean and Kale Soup is a comforting dish that my Dad made frequently when I was growing up.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Extra virgin olive oil – we have used Extra Virgin Olive Oil for the best flavour. Use the best olive oil that you have.
- Brown/yellow onion – this onion is most frequently used for cooking, but you can use white onion if you prefer.
- Carrot – adds flavour, colour and nutrients.
- Celery – one of the trio of vegetables that produce the flavour base.
- Garlic – for the best flavour, use fresh garlic.
- Cherry tomatoes – small and sweet, they add great flavour to the broth.
- Parmesan rind – a small piece of leftover Parmesan rind adds great flavour to the soup and softens as it cooks. For vegetarian soup, omit the rind.
- Dried red chilli pepper flakes – add gentle spice.
- Dried oregano and thyme – are aromatic and flavoursome.
- Cannellini beans – creamy and mild flavoured, they are extremely versatile and an important store cupboard ingredient. One of our favourite ways to use them is in our Mediterranean Baked Beans. Using canned beans cuts the preparation time of soups and stews dramatically.
- Vegetable stock – for the best flavour, use homemade or a good quality commercial variety.
- Zucchini/courgette – an extremely versatile ingredient that can be used in sweet or savoury foods, such as Chickpea and Zucchini Stew.
- Curly kale – this is the kale you’re most likely to find at the grocery store. You can also use another variety, such as Tuscan kale.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste
- Parmesan cheese – freshly grated to serve.
Variations:
Herbs – use other varieties such as fresh basil or rosemary if you prefer.
Curly kale – another variety of kale or spinach would be suitable.
Cannellini beans – substitute with navy beans or great northern.
How To Make Cannellini Bean and Kale Soup:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Blend one can of beans:
Add one drained tin of the cannellini beans to a small food processor or blender, along with one cup of vegetable stock. Blend until smooth and set aside.
2 – Make your Soffritto:
Make your “soffritto” – this is the flavour base for the soup. Add olive oil to a large saucepan, and over medium heat, add diced onion, carrot and celery. Sauté gently for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent. Stir occasionally.
Add the garlic and sauté for one minute.
3 – Start building your soup:
Add the other tin of drained beans, the remaining stock and cherry tomatoes to the vegetables. Add the blended beans, parmesan rind and herbs. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
4 – Add in the chopped zucchini:
Add the zucchini and simmer for 5 minutes.
5 – Add in the kale:
Add the kale and simmer a further 2 minutes, stirring well. Check that the vegetables are cooked to your liking, and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6 – Serve:
Discard the Parmesan rind and ladle the soup into bowls. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve with grated Parmesan.
Hint: adding a piece of Parmesan rind is a wonderful flavour booster, and a great addition to many dishes. You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. Use them to add flavour to soups, stews, sauces or risotto. Just remove the rind before serving.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
Yes, you can. In fact, making it a day ahead of time enables the ingredients to amalgamate and their flavours to develop.
When the soup is completely cool, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. It can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave. The soup may thicken slightly while standing, so, if necessary, just add a little stock or water. Check the seasoning before serving.
Yes, it freezes well. Store it in a freezer-safe container for up to three months. Be sure to clearly label and date the container as frozen objects can be difficult to identify. Defrost and reheat as above.
Top Tip:
A good stock, either homemade or store bought, is essential to a rich flavoured soup.
As always, you will get the best result by using good quality ingredients. Ensure that your vegetables are fresh and in good condition. Also, the difference between a flavoursome dish and a boring one is often lack of seasoning so, before serving, check that the soup is to your taste, and add salt, pepper, or chilli flakes if necessary.
Serving Suggestions:
Warm and comforting, this delicious Cannellini Bean and Kale Soup is ideal to serve:
- for lunch or dinner.
- as an accompaniment, it needs no more than bread, such as our easy No-Knead Spelt Loaf.
- it travels well, so is ideal to take to a potluck, or gift some to a friend.
Suggested toppings:
- A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil is a traditional finishing touch.
- Some finely chopped parsley.
- Grated Parmesan cheese.
- Lemon juice – the acidity from a small squeeze of lemon juice really brightens the flavour.
I am certain that you will enjoy this Cannellini Bean and Kale Soup. Made in just one pot, it will be a great addition to your meal planning.
Alex xx
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Mediterranean Cannellini Bean and Kale Soup
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon (¼ cup) extra virgin olive oil See Note 1
- 1 medium brown/yellow onion – peeled and finely diced
- 1 large carrot – washed, finely diced
- 2 ribs celery – finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic – finely chopped
- 170 g (6 oz) cherry tomatoes – quartered
- 1 piece Parmesan rind – about 7 ½ cm/3 inches See Note 2
- 800 g (28 oz) tinned cannellini beans – rinsed and drained – divided – I use 2 x 400 g (14 oz) tins See Note 3
- 4 cups (1 litre) vegetable stock – divided See Note 4
- ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli pepper flakes
- 1 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme – finely chopped
- 1 medium zucchini – finely diced
- 2 cups curly kale – stems removed – finely chopped and firmly packed
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste See Note 5
To Serve:
- extra virgin olive oil – a drizzle
- Parmesan cheese – freshly grated
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large saucepan, and over medium heat, add the diced onion, carrot and celery and sauté gently for about 5 minutes until the vegetables soften and the onion becomes translucent. Stir occasionally.
- Add the garlic and sauté for one minute.
- Add one drained tin of the cannellini beans to a small food processor or blender, along with one cup of vegetable stock. Blend until smooth.
- Add one tin of drained cannellini beans, the three cups of veggie stock and cherry tomatoes to the vegetables. Add the blended beans, parmesan rind and herbs.Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the zucchini and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the kale and simmer a further 2 minutes, stirring well.Check that the vegetables are cooked to your liking, and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- If the soup is too thick, add a little extra stock.Ladle the soup into bowls, discarding the parmesan rind.Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and serve with grated Parmesan.
Notes
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons).
- Parmesan Rind: a small piece of leftover Parmesan rind softens as the soup cooks and adds great flavour. Omit for a vegan soup.
- Cannellini beans: you could substitute with navy beans or great northern.
- Stock: you could also use chicken stock if you do not require a vegetarian soup.
- Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour. Add more red chilli pepper flakes if you like the heat.
- Storage and reheating: store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. It can be reheated on the stove or in the microwave. The soup may thicken while standing, so just add some more stock or water.
- Freezing: allow to cool completely before storing the soup in a freezer safe container for up to three months.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Vilma Jordan
love all your! recipes, thank you!! for sharing! with us here with you. stay blessed ❤️ 💕
Alexandra Cook
Thank you so much, Vilma 🙂
I am so happy to hear this. Alex xo
Karen
First fall soup I’ve made Very tasty & filling
Fresh veggies really make this a soup one that I’ll keep in my rotation during fall & winter
Sharing with friends & can’t wait for them to taste it!
Alexandra Cook
Hi Karen,
Thank you so much for your comment!
I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe 🙂 Alex xo