Creamy Tuscan White Bean & Kale Soup (1 Pot!)

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Small plates of vegan parmesan and croutons next to and on bowls of Tuscan white bean and kale soup

Friends, it’s no secret we love soup, and this creamy Tuscan-inspired version with white beans and kale is our new favorite for fall and winter! It’s hearty, warming, comforting, SO flavorful, and packed with nourishing veggies and fiber-rich beans. Basically, a hug in a bowl.

It’s ideal for meal prep or freezing and comes together easily in just 1 pot! While satisfying on its own, we also love it with Vegan Garlic Bread, Spicy Tempeh Sausage, or Pesto “Parmesan” Turkey Meatballs. Let us show you how it’s done! 

Onion, carrots, celery, kale, coconut milk, vegetable broth, tomatoes, white beans, olive oil, tomato paste, red pepper flakes, dried Italian herbs, garlic, salt, pepper, rosemary, and balsamic vinegar

Recipe Inspiration

This soup is inspired by our 1-Pot Tuscan Style Beef & Lentil Soup, but this version is plant-based and draws inspiration from Tuscan soups like zuppa di fagioli and ribollita.

How to Make Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup

As with most good soups, this one starts with a savory base of sautéed onion, carrots, and celery.

Next, we add tomato paste for richness, red pepper flakes for heat, and dried rosemary or thyme for herby goodness. Garlic is a must for an Italian-inspired soup, and basil, too!

Tomato paste, garlic, red pepper flakes, and herbs over a pot of sautéed onion, celery, and carrots

Next comes the vegetable broth, white beans, tomatoes, and salt and pepper, bringing us into soup territory.

Adding vegetable broth to a pot with white beans and diced tomatoes

After simmering to develop the flavors, we lightly purée the mixture to break up some of the beans and create more cohesiveness. But if you want to keep it a little chunky, or don’t have an immersion blender, feel free to skip this step!

Adding chopped kale into a soup pot

Then it’s time for the kale, or whatever greens you have around (spinach, collards, or chard work, too!).

Stirring coconut milk into a vegan Tuscan soup with white beans and kale

The final touches are balsamic vinegar for sweetness and depth of flavor and coconut milk (or cashew cream) for dairy-free creaminess.

Dutch oven filled with Tuscan kale and white bean soup

We hope you LOVE this soup! It’s:

Hearty
Nourishing
Creamy
Warming
Subtly spicy
& SO comforting!

Enjoy it on its own or top with fresh basil, Vegan Parmesan Cheese, and Garlicky Homemade Croutons for extra freshness, saltiness, and crunch. It also pairs nicely with protein-packed dishes like Spicy Tempeh Sausage or Pesto “Parmesan” Turkey Meatballs.

More Comforting Soup Recipes

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Bowl of creamy Tuscan white bean soup topped with croutons and vegan parmesan cheese

Creamy Tuscan White Bean & Kale Soup (1 Pot!)

Comforting, creamy Tuscan-inspired soup with white beans, kale, tomatoes, and herbs! Warming, savory, hearty, and full of nourishing veggies and fiber-rich beans. Just 1 pot required!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Gold spoon in a bowl of creamy tuscan soup with white beans and kale
4.97 from 127 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 5 (~1 ½ cup servings)
Course Entrée, Side, Soup
Cuisine Gluten-Free (optional), Italian-Inspired, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 3-4 Days

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil (if oil-free, sub twice the amount of water)
  • 1/2 large yellow onion, diced (1/2 large onion yields ~ 1 ½ cups or 170 g)
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (2 carrots yield ~3/4 cup or 100 g)
  • 2 large stalks celery, diced (2 stalks celery yield ~1 ¼ cup or 150 g)
  • 3/4 tsp sea salt (DIVIDED // plus more to taste)
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper (DIVIDED)
  • 2 Tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced (4 cloves yield ~2 Tbsp or 18 g)
  • 1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, to taste
  • 1 Tbsp freshly chopped rosemary or thyme (or sub 1 tsp dried)
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 3 cups vegetable broth (or store-bought)
  • 2 (15-oz.) cans white beans, drained and rinsed (we prefer cannellini // or ~3 ½ cups cooked homemade beans)
  • 1 (15-oz.) can diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups chopped kale leaves (or sub baby spinach)
  • 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 3/4 cup full-fat coconut milk (or sub cashew cream)

FOR SERVING optional

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a few cracks of fresh black pepper, and cook (stirring occasionally) until softened — about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, garlic, red pepper flakes, rosemary (or thyme), and basil and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
  • Add the broth, beans, tomatoes, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, until the veggies are fork-tender and the flavors are well developed.
  • Optional (skip this step if you prefer a chunkier soup): Use an immersion blender to purée the soup in short bursts, only puréeing part of the soup (mostly the beans) and leaving plenty of whole pieces of vegetables.
  • Return the soup to a light simmer. Then add the kale, turn off the heat, and cover the pot for 5 minutes. Once the kale is softened, uncover the pot and stir in the vinegar and coconut milk (or cashew cream). Taste and adjust as needed, adding more red pepper flakes for heat, vinegar or tomato paste for richness, coconut milk for creaminess, or salt for overall flavor.
  • Serve warm garnished with vegan parmesan cheese, thinly sliced basil, and croutons (all optional).
  • Store cooled leftovers covered in the refrigerator up to 3-4 days, or in the freezer up to 1 month. Thaw from frozen before reheating. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a saucepan or pot over medium heat (covered) until warmed through. Add more broth or water as needed to thin.

Video

Notes

*If using our cashew cream recipe instead of the coconut milk, 1 batch will make double the amount you’ll need for this soup. Any leftover cashew cream can be frozen in an ice cube tray for other uses. 
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.

Nutrition (1 of 5 servings)

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 303 Carbohydrates: 40.4 g Protein: 11.3 g Fat: 10.9 g Saturated Fat: 6.4 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4 g Monounsaturated Fat: 2 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 928 mg Potassium: 906 mg Fiber: 11.7 g Sugar: 9.5 g Vitamin A: 4425 IU Vitamin C: 22 mg Calcium: 150 mg Iron: 3.8 mg

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  1. Eri says

    Wow, that was one of the best soups I’ve tried in a while. It’s hearty, and the consistency is great and the balsamic vinegar gives it a subtle & delicious bit of acidity. I substituted the coconut milk / cashew cream for vegan heavy whipping cream from the store, which worked really nicely. I also used fresh kale, rosemary, thyme, and oregano from my garden, which was amazing & I could really taste the next day in the leftovers since the flavors had melded. I had 3 bowls – I’ll definitely make this again :3

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed the soup and will be making it again. Thank you for the lovely review! xo

  2. CarlaIsVegan says

    So delicious and hearty with some toasted bread! New favorite recipe. I doubled the celery and carrots and added two more cups of broth. The kale was delicious in this. Thank you for this recipe!

  3. Marilyn Mitchell says

    This is a fabulous soup. I only added a bit of agave syrup to compliment the savory part of this recipe, just a bit of sweetness. One of the best soups I’ve ever made.

  4. Lynda Swallow says

    Just made this soup to try to encourage partner to eat more veggies. Substituted the beans for red lentils, chilli flakes for red pepper flakes and blended most of it. Was delicious with some parmesan and sour dough bread. Enough left for lunch tomorrow too. Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoy the soup, Lynda. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yay! We’re so glad it’s going in your rotation, Lauren. Thank you for sharing! xo

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed this one. Thank you for the lovely review, Michelle! xo

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      That should work well! We’d suggest 4-6 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high. For best flavor (though not essential), you could sauté the ingredients in step 1 before adding them to the crock pot. Let us know if you try it!

  5. Michelle says

    This is my favorite Minimalist Baker recipe! I brown some ground turkey in a separate pan and add it at the end. Hearty and delicious!

  6. Shelby says

    What a warm, cozy nourishing soup! I loved the one pot simple meal. I rarely cook with coconut milk, but I loved the creaminess it added without making it feel too heavy.

  7. Jackie says

    I used spinach & heavy cream because it’s what I had on hand. The cream gave it a delicious richness. Will definitely be making this often. Thanks for a great recipe!

  8. Ashley says

    So tasty!! Thank you! I used garbanzo beans and no vinegar because it was what I had in my pantry. My kiddos enjoyed it as much as my husband and I did

  9. Jenna says

    This was a delicious recipe. I made it without the added coconut milk/cashew cream to keep it lower fat, and it was still so good. I used the immersion blender to salsa-like consistency. Will be saving this recipe for future use!

  10. Dana says

    I loved this recipe! Super simple ingredients, not too much prep, and so much flavor!

    When prepping for this recipe I only purchased 1 can of white beans and it ended up being totally fine! The texture of the chopped veggies and the fullness of the kale hardied it up enough that it didn’t seem out of proportion.

    Highly recommend this recipe. I’ll be using it for all future rainy day/cold day/soup vibe-y days in the future.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! We’re so glad you love this recipe, Dana. Thank you for the wonderful review and for sharing your modifications! xo

  11. Jenny says

    My husband and I love, love, love this soup! It’s quick and simple, delicious and filling! I use spinach instead of kale, but otherwise, I follow the exact recipe. I have made it more than three times…and will be bringing to potluck holiday party! Thank you for another great recipe!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Aw, YAY! We’re so happy you both enjoy the recipe, Jenny. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo

  12. Tess says

    I’d like to make this for our family dinner but my daughter-in-law is allergic to coconut. Can I just use half and half instead if we’re not vegan?

  13. Beth says

    This Tuscan Bean Soup recipe is delicious and very easy. I only had 1 can of white beans, but found that it was enough volume for the soup. I also did not have the tomato paste so that was omitted. I added 1 Tbs of Nutritional Yeast, and 1 Tbs of Tumeric-Onion Powder-Garlic Powder-Pepper-Dried Parsley Spice Blend. I did not blend the soup. I made the homemade Cashew Cream which I had never done before and that elevated it to another level. Super Delicious! Thank you for the nutritious and delicious recipe.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Beth! Thank you for sharing your experience and modifications! xo

  14. Pooja says

    Made this when it started getting chilly and will definitely be making regularly this winter! So flavorful while still easy and quick for a work night.

  15. Cat says

    This is always delicious! I’ve made this at least 5 times, and my husband has loved it each time (even though he claims to be a simple vegetable soup kind of man). This time, I didn’t realize I was out of coconut milk, but a splash of heavy cream did the trick and tasted just fine.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you both enjoy it, Cat. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modification! xo

  16. Nicole says

    This is the best veggie soup I have ever made! I used fire-roasted tomatoes and added some ABC pasta for my daughter, though it definitely does not need pasta added. I also added the pasta before I saw the step with the immersion blender, so I didn’t blend, but I think next time I will blend first and then add ABS pasta just so you can see the letters better, lol. We definitely did not skip the croutons- I did a loaf of bread earlier in the day in a bread machine, and it couldn’t have been easier. Without the ABC pasta it would feel very elegant and I would serve this to guests. This will be in our regular rotation. Thanks Dana! I’ve struggled with bland veggie soup for years and you solved it for me!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Nicole. So fun to add ABC pasta! Thank you for sharing! xo

  17. Julie says

    This robust soup is delicious and so easy and quick to make from ingredients that I usually have on hand. This is a wonderful addition to my fall/winter soup roster!

  18. Jennifer says

    I always look first to Minimalist Baker when looking for a good vegan recipe and this soup stood up to that measure. It was wonderful! I had a few Yukon gold potatoes that needed using so added them to this soup——the only change I made to the recipe. The soup was fantastic! Thanks so much for your great recipes.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Aw, thank you so much for trusting our recipes and for the lovely review, Jennifer! We’re honored! xoxo

  19. Nicole Madsen says

    One of the best recipes I’ve made for soup! We all loved it- I used a can of navy beans and butter beans. For the kids, I made bow tie pasta and mixed in a scoop of soup so they had the broth (which I blended a bit) and veggies.

  20. Karen Harding says

    Made recipe as written but omited coconut milk and croutons. Absolutely delicious and super fast to make.

  21. Kezia F Rasmussen says

    I made and loved this! Super easy to make and very satisfying. I used fire-roasted diced tomatoes, a 16-bean dry soup mix blend instead of just white beans, and added a tablespoon of marsala cooking wine. Definitely want to try this recipe as it is, but it was really easy to make slight tweaks. I found this recipe to use the kale from our garden and absolutely will be making this again.

  22. Sonja says

    This soup is amazing. My favorite new soup recipe of the season so far. Definitely use the immersion blender if you can but dont go overboard. I used 1 tbsp fresh basil instead of dried. We used reduced fat coconut milk which tasted just fine, but I’ll try regular next time for a creamier flavor.

  23. Kate says

    Wow! I loved this! I had fresh rosemary in the garden, and I used the cashew cream instead of coconut milk. So much flavor. Did not blend, did not feel the need. Super supper (with sourdough croutons).

  24. Alicia says

    This soup turned out delicious. We included two, diced red potatoes during the second step and found it to be a yummy addition. Thanks so much for an excellent recipe!

  25. Marianne Alaska says

    I have been craving creamy tomato soup lately, and this has become my new favorite recipe! I made the crouton recipe also, absolutely yummy! Thank you for making this Vegan diet easy with all your amazing recipes!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thank you so much for your kind words and lovely review, Marianne! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes! xo

  26. Olivia says

    It’s amazing how great this soup is! It is amazing. If I had a restaurant, this would be on the menu every day. Thanks for this recipe.

  27. ColCT says

    I just made this tonight and it was AMAZING. The only deviation from the recipe I made was 1/2 white beans and 1/2 chickpeas because that’s what I had on hand. This is going into my permanent rotation. Thanks Minimalist Baker, this is a keeper!

  28. Kathleen Allisen says

    I have made this soup several times, it is delicious. It’s a great way to use up the little bits of vegetables that would otherwise get thrown out. Dice up some green beans, some bell peppers, cauliflower florets, frozen peas, there is an infinite variety that work well in this soup. We are big fans!

  29. Gina N says

    This soup was DELICIOUS! My husband hates kale and he LOVED this soup. I recommend using the immersion blender like recommended. It will not disappoint.

  30. Janice says

    I’ve made this twice in the last month or so. It is absolutely delicious! We love the flavor and all the healthy ingredients. I froze leftovers for when I don’t want to cook. It froze beautifully. No issues with it at all. I was concerned about how the kale would be after freezing. Delicious!!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! We’re so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipe, Janice. Thank you for sharing your experience! xo

  31. Stephanie says

    HI, so I’m always confused when it comes to recipes that call for coconut milk…. Does this recipe call for the kind in a can or the kind from the refrigerator section in the store? Thanks

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Stephanie, good question! When we say “full-fat” coconut milk, that’s canned. Hope that helps!

  32. Wendy Walker says

    I love this recipe. I use the cashew cream in the soup instead of coconut milk bc I like the milder flavor. It is one of my favorites. Thank you!