Cozy up with this lemony white bean soup, packed with beans, fresh kale, and zesty lemon for a quick, healthy, and delicious weeknight dinner.
Looking for a comforting, nourishing meal to warm you up this winter? This white bean soup recipe is the perfect choice. It is a light yet hearty dish made with creamy cannellini beans, tender vegetables, and torn kale, all brightened with fresh lemon juice and zest.
Serve it with crusty bread, Jiffy muffins, or a side salad for a complete meal. Whether you’re looking for a quick lunch or a light dinner, this soup is sure to hit the spot. Plus, it’s a great way to sneak in extra veggies and fiber without sacrificing flavor.
For more cozy soups, try my chicken and farro soup or my mushroom and lentil soup.
Recipe Highlights
- Easy and Quick: This soup is ready in about 30 minutes, making it the perfect one-pot meal for busy weeknights.
- Healthy and Nourishing: Packed with fiber, protein, and vitamins, it’s a balanced meal in a bowl.
- Versatile: You can easily customize it with different veggies, add some ground meat, or add heavy cream for a creamy soup based on what you have on hand and what you're craving.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Olive oil: For sautéing the vegetables.
- Yellow onion: Provides a mild, sweet flavor to the soup.
- Carrots: Peeled and diced or sliced, however you prefer them.
- Celery: Diced or sliced.
- Garlic: Minced.
- Cannellini beans: These canned beans are creamy and add protein and fiber. Drain them and rinse them to remove excess sodium and starchy liquid.
- Vegetable broth: Forms the flavorful, savory base of the soup.
- Seasoning: Dried oregano, dried parsley, kosher salt, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Lemon: Brightens the soup with fresh, tangy notes.
- Kale: Destemmed and torn into bite-size pieces.
- Parmesan cheese: Optional, but it adds a salty finish to the soup and a slightly nutty flavor. I recommend lacinato kale (also known as dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale).
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
Add the rinsed navy beans and pour in the vegetable broth. Stir in the oregano, parsley, salt, and crushed red pepper to taste. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and torn kale, cooking until the kale is wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Serve and top with grated parmesan cheese.
Substitutions
- Yellow onion: Use white onion, shallots, or sweet onions if preferred.
- Garlic: Garlic powder or pre-minced garlic can be used if fresh garlic isn’t available.
- Cannellini beans: Great Northern beans and navy beans are great substitutes.
- Vegetable broth: Chicken broth, chicken stock, or even water with bouillon can be used.
- Dried oregano and parsley: Fresh herbs or Italian seasoning can be substituted.
- Kale: Spinach or collard greens make excellent alternatives.
Equipment
- Large pot - A 6-quart pot is perfect for this soup recipe.
- Cutting board and chef's knife for prepping the veggies, plus a vegetable peeler for the carrots.
Storage
Allow the soup to cool before refrigerating. Refrigerate in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing individual portions.
Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Warm in a pot over medium heat or covered in the microwave until heated through.
Top Tips
If you want a thicker broth, blend half of the soup in the blender and return it to the pot. Be careful when blending hot soup! Allow it to cool slightly and fill the blender only halfway. Remove the center cap from the lid to release steam, cover with a kitchen towel, and blend slowly to avoid pressure buildup and spills.
You can also use an immersion blender but an immersion blender isn't ideal for partially blending soups because it can be difficult to control how much of the soup gets blended.
FAQ
Yes! Simply omit the Parmesan cheese or replace it with a vegan alternative like nutritional yeast.
This soup is naturally gluten-free as long as your broth and Parmesan are certified gluten-free.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear what you think! Please take a moment to leave a rating and review—it helps me create high-quality recipes and lets others know what to expect.
📖 Recipe
Lemony White Bean Soup with Kale
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 2 large carrots diced or sliced
- 2 celery stalks diced or sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cans (15 oz each) cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper or to taste
- 1 large lemon juiced and zested
- 2 cups kale destemmed and torn into small pieces
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese optional for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for about 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the rinsed navy beans and pour in the vegetable broth. Stir in the oregano, parsley, salt, and crushed red pepper to taste. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, and torn kale, cooking until the kale is wilted, about 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Serve and top with grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
Nutrition
Related
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Yanny says
Yes
Kelsey Smith says
Thanks for checking out my recipe! This easy white bean soup is lemony and so quick to make. I hope you love it.