Creamy White Bean Soup with Kale

Hello and welcome back to my channel. Today we’re making a creamy white bean soup you’ll never forget. This creamy white bean soup with Kale is no ordinary soup! It has a super creamy texture without dairy or nuts (perfect for those with dairy / nut intolerance or for someone who’s simply cutting back on dairy). The soup contains wholesome and comforting yet gourmet flavor boosters that you’ll use in every single soup. Great for rainy days, or if you want a light yet filling Thanksgiving meal. It’s packed with five veggies (for those picky eaters; trust me they won’t notice  ), 19g of protein, and 16g of fiber.
I love experimenting with new techniques that I can use towards other meals and tweak them making them my own. I used three techniques for an epic flavored soup: a bouquet garni, Italian gremolata, and finishing with olive oil.
The recipe is unique because the soup gets its natural creaminess from just two ingredients: white beans and potatoes. No need for dairy, coconut milk, or cashews needed and very allergen friendly.
When partially blended, the cannellini beans and potatoes become velvety smooth while naturally thickening the soup.
This technique makes this soup a flavor bomb:
A bouquet garni, a French term for a bundle of herbs tied together. A bundle of fresh rosemary & sage + bay leaves infuses every spoonful with layers of deep woodsy flavors.
A gremolata is stirred into each bowl of soup before serving. Made with just parsley, basil, lemon zest, and garlic, it takes mere minutes to make but adds a zesty, lemony pop to each bite.
A drizzle of good-quality extra virgin olive oil at the end adds rich mouthfeel and body to this veggie-packed soup.
INGREDIENTS:
1 generous tablespoon olive oil
1 large, sweet onion (or yellow onion or leek), diced (I used sweet onion)
3 sticks of celery, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
6 garlic cloves, chopped finely
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 ½ cups (840 mL) low-sodium vegetable broth** (I used almost 4 cups)
1 teaspoon kosher salt + more to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1 medium Yukon gold potato (about 6 ounces or 170g), peeled and finely diced (I used about 1 ½ medium potato for that perfect creaminess)
2 (15-ounce/425g) cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (or 3 1/2 cups cooked cannellini beans) (I used 2 cans of cannellini beans)
1 (14 ounce/400g) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped finely (optional)
1 small head of lacinato kale, center rib removed and shredded (about 1 small bunch) (I used a medium bunch)
Good-quality extra virgin olive oil (for finishing)
Important note: (I prep everything beforehand, so the soup gets done smoothly without problems).
FOR THE BOUQUET GARNI:
2 bay leaves
1 large sprig of sage
1 large or 2 small sprigs rosemary ( I used two sprigs ) ; tied tightly together with kitchen twine***
Note: You can replace the rosemary with thyme if needed.
GREMOLATA:
1 loosely packed cup (12g) Italian flat-leaf parsley leaves (I used Curley parsley since it was the only one HEB had )
½ loosely packed cup (8g) fresh basil leaves
2 large garlic cloves, left whole and peeled
2 medium lemons (I prefer organic since we're using the peel)
Coarse or flaky sea salt
DIRECTIONS:
Important note: (I prep everything beforehand, so the soup gets done smoothly without problems).
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Once hot add your aromatics: add the onion, celery, and carrots, along with a pinch or two of salt. Cook until the vegetables are softened and starting to just turn brown, 6-8 minutes.
Next, add the garlic and red pepper flakes (you can leave these out if you don’t want the kick). Sauté for another 2 minutes.
Pour in the vegetable broth and deglaze the pot, stirring up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
Add in the bouquet garni, potatoes, cannellini beans, and artichokes (if using). Also add a teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste once. Stir well.
Bring the soup to a boil. Then reduce heat, cover the pot. Simmer the soup for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
While the soup is simmering, make the Gremolata. Note :( I prepared everything beforehand, so the soup gets done smoothly without problems).
Finely chop the parsley and basil. Using a microplane, grate the garlic directly over the parsley and basil. Then zest the lemons on top of this mixture Note: (Make sure to not zest the white pith underneath the skin)
Mix the garlic and lemon zest into the herbs and chop the herbs until they’re finely minced. Sprinkle with a bit of the coarse or flaky sea salt. Let it rest in the fridge until is time to add on the soup.
Once soup is done simmering, remove the bouquet garni. Transfer half of the soup to a stand blender (I used an immersion blender), and blend until thick and smooth Stir to incorporate. (Note: If using a stand blender then return this pureed soup back to the pot)
If doing the One-pot option: Use an immersion blender throughout half of the soup but be sure to not blend it all. You want to retain some of the texture.
Add the kale to the soup and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the kale is tender but still bright green. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt as needed. When the soup is done.
Serve the soup in bowls and sprinkle a generous amount of the Gremolata over each bowl and a drizzle of the extra virgin olive oil.
STORING NOTES: Refrigerate -If storing leftovers, add the gremolata to a jar, drizzle some olive oil in there, and refrigerate. Spoon this over leftover soup.
Freezing- You can also freeze it. Transfer the cooled soup to a few airtight containers. Store up to 3 months. * If freezing, do not add the gremolata. Instead, make the gremolata fresh when you are ready to reheat the soup. *
IMPORTANT NOTES AND TIPS:
FOR THE FRESH HERBS: To make the bouquet garni, I used fresh sage and rosemary, plus dried bay leaves. These three paired well with white beans.
Substitute: You can replace sage or rosemary with fresh thyme.
**Even though dried herbs can be used, they simply do not add the same punch of flavor. **
CANNELLINI BEANS: AKA white kidney beans. These are some of the creamiest beans out there.
Substitute: If you can’t find them, use another white bean.
YUKON GOLD POTATOES: When cooked down, gold potatoes naturally thicken this soup. I used just one and a half medium Yukon gold potato; however, if potatoes are your jam and you want that extra starch, feel free to add some more. **(you might want to add a bit more vegetable broth to compensate, which is what I did). **
Substitute: If you only have sweet potatoes available, add a small, sweet potato for a different flavor profile.
LACINTO KALE: Also known as dino kale. This lacinato kale is the preferred option! However, my HEB only had Curly Kale, so it is what I used.
Substitute: Curly kale works but may take a few extra minutes to become tender. Baby spinach is fine too, but will add a softer texture.
LEMONS: Lemon zest is a key element in gremolata and gives this soup its punchy finish. I prefer to use organic lemons for zesting.
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL: This soup is naturally low in fat, the olive oil at the end really takes it over the top, adding a rich and luxurious mouthfeel that’s often missing in plant-based soups.
USING INSTANT POT: You may need a touch more oil when using the Instant Pot.