Kale is one of those veggies where people either love it or hate it, and I get that. I was an early kale adopter back in the 80s because I liked it raw in a pita with hummus. But then, I cooked it, and I decided maybe I didn't like kale nearly as much as I thought.
So, I totally get it if the idea of a soup featuring kale sounds... challenging. But if you cook kale correctly and with the right ingredients, it's delicious! I promise there's a reason that kale is trendy, and these yummy kale soup recipes are so darn good, you just might become a kale convert.
Kale & Bean Soup
I've been known to chop up some kale and toss it in any soup in the last 10 minutes or so of cooking (I'm big on sneaking extra veggies into soups for my decidedly veggie-averse family). It's yummy in most soups. And in this bean soup, it adds a pop of color and delicious flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 8 cloves of garlic, minced
- 4 cups of raw kale, chopped
- 2 (14-ounce) cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 medium tomatoes, diced
- 4 cups of vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- A pinch of dried marjoram if you have it on hand
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high until it shimmers.
- Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until they're fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
- Add the kale and cook, stirring, until it wilts, a minute or two more.
- Add three cups of the broth and 1 can of the beans to the pot.
- Add the tomatoes, herbs, salt, and pepper and simmer.
- While the soup is simmering, place the remaining beans and broth in a blender and puree.
- Add the puree to the soup. This will add body to the soup.
- Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, tasting and adjusting seasonings.
Related: 20 Warming Winter Soups to Sustain You Until Spring
Caldo Verde
I love smoky, spicy chorizo in a soup. It adds so much flavor and mixes super well with the kale. This kale soup recipe calls for a hard chorizo, but if you can't find any, you can brown one pound of ground chorizo instead. This serves 6-8.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces of olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 (10-ounce) chorizo, cooked and diced
- 6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 8 cups of vegetable stock
- 1 pound of kale, stems removed and chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot on medium-high until it shimmers.
- Add the onions and cook, occasionally stirring, until the onions are translucent — about five minutes.
- Add the garlic and most of the chorizo to the onions (save enough chorizo to garnish the soup bowls).
- Cook, stirring occasionally — 2-3 minutes more.
- Add the potatoes and the vegetable stock.
- Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer.
- Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Remove from heat and puree the soup with an immersion blender or let the soup cool and puree in a blender.
- Pour the soup back into the pot and add the kale.
- Bring the soup back to a boil and reduce to a simmer.
- Simmer until the kale is tender, 10 minutes more.
- Taste for seasonings.
- Garnish with the reserved chorizo.
A Souper Way to Use Kale
Our recipes are so good that even picky eaters will love them, but it's souper easy to add kale to other soups, too. Just chop up a cup or two and stir it in towards the end of cooking. It's a simple and delicious way to add some more superstars to your family's veggie lineup.
