Easy Tuscan Kale Soup Recipe You Will Love

This delicious Tuscan kale soup with white beans is a perfect one pot weeknight dinner. Recipe includes a step of simmering Parmesan rind that adds incredible flavor and body to this comforting soup.

You may have noticed, I’m pretty into soups lately! I just published a round-up of 44 soups to make in your Dutch oven, and I’ve also shared other soup recipes like this Ina Garten butternut squash soup, this easy vegetable lentil soup, and this slow cooker chicken noodle soup. I have more soup recipes on the way, too!

Even though I love soup, most of my family does not, so I love it when a soup can be frozen and reheated later. I enjoy reheating leftover soup for lunch while my anti-soup children are at school.

I hope you enjoy this Tuscan Kale Soup recipe, adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, Salt Fat Acid Heat. It is a one pot meal that can be made in a dutch oven and has lots of flavors including mirepoix, garlic, tomatoes, kale, and cabbage.

It’s one of those soups that just feels healthy when you eat it because of the veggies and greens. In my opinion, this soup tastes even better the second day because the flavors really come together.

Store in an airtight container for 3 days, or in the freezer for up to a month (just be sure to bring the soup to a boil before enjoying if you reheat it).

Ingredients for Tuscan Kale Soup

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is used throughout this recipe and adds body to the soup. Use a good quality olive oil, I prefer one with a label that reads “first cold pressed.”

Pancetta is added at the very beginning of this recipe and adds nice depth and flavor to this soup.

Yellow Onion, Celery, and Carrots aka Mirepoix are the vegetable base of the soup.

Bay Leaves add extra flavor to this Tuscan Kale Soup.

Salt & Pepper

Garlic Cloves add extra flavor to this soup. The recipe calls for three cloves, but if you really love garlic you can add an extra clove or two 😉

Crushed Tomatoes in their Juices are what give this Tuscan Kale Soup a nice tomato base and pretty red color.

Cooked Cannellini Beans add some fiber and protein to this dish. Be sure to reserve and add the liquid as well. You can use canned or homemade beans in this recipe.

Parmesan-Reggiano Cheese is blended into the soup, and also used as a garnish. The parmesan rind is added to infuse flavor into the broth.

Chicken stock is used as a base in this soup, You can add more or less to make the soup thinner or have more body according to your preference. It’s great to use a good quality stock for this soup, if you have homemade, definitely use that!

Kale adds green to this soup and a ton of nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin K, and even some iron.

Savoy Cabbage adds extra nutrients to this soup.

Lemon is optional, but I find that a little squeeze of lemon right before serving brightens up and balances this soup.

Tuscan Kale Soup FAQ

Is this Tuscan Kale Soup vegetarian?

No, because it has chicken stock and pancetta.

Can I make a vegetarian version of this Kale Tuscan Soup?

Yes. Simply leave out the pancetta and use vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.

Is this soup dairy free?

No. It has parmesan cheese.

Is this Tuscan kale soup Keto?

No.

Is this Tuscan kale soup gluten free?

Yes!

Does this Tuscan Kale Soup have sausage?

No, this soup does not include sausage, but it does include pancetta.

Can I make a vegan version of this Kale Tuscan Soup?

Yes, you can but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it as the parmesan rind adds a nice flavor infusion to this recipe. However, If you choose to make this recipe vegan, simply leave out pancetta, substitute chicken stock with vegetable stock, and omit parmesan.

How do you prepare kale for this soup?

Simply rinse the kale and cut it into thin pieces.

What is the best kind of kale for this Tuscan kale soup?

Flat leaf kale is easier to chop, making it a great choice for this soup. Curly leaf kale also works fine, and is what I used when I made it.

How do you take the bitterness and toughness out of kale?

Kale can taste quite bitter by itself, but if you add minced garlic, salt, or olive oil to kale it can help reduce the bitter flavor. You’ll find that the kale in this soup shouldn’t taste too bitter because of the way it is prepared and combined with these ingredients.

Is this Tuscan Kale Soup better than the Tuscan Kale Soup Olive Garden version?

In my opinion, yes. Yes, it is.

I have extra kale from this recipe. What are good recipes for kale smoothies?

If you’ve fallen in love with kale in this soup and want to try it in a smoothie, give this detox green smoothie a try! It is one of my very favorite green smoothies! https://rainbowdelicious.com/refreshing-detox-pineapple-smoothie/

How to Make Tuscan Kale and White Bean Soup

Heat dutch oven over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add pancetta and cook for 1 minute while stirring, until the pancetta begins to brown.

Add onion, celery, carrots, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium and cook 15 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Add garlic and cook while stirring for up to an additional minute, until fragrant. Add tomatoes and season with salt as needed. Simmer tomatoes for about 10 minutes, until they cook down to a jam-like consistency.

Add beans, their cooking liquid, half the grated parmesan, and the parmesan rind. Add 3 to 4 cups chicken stock, as much as is needed to cover vegetables.

Add 1/4 cup olive oil and bring the soup to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add kale and cabbage. Bring to a simmer again and add more stock as needed to cover vegetables.

Gently simmer for 20 more minutes, or until greens are tender and flavor is right. Season with salt to your taste. For a thinner lighter soup, add more stock.

Remove parmesan rind and bay leaves, and optionally stir in a splash of fresh lemon juice before serving this kale and white bean soup. Garnish soup bowls with drizzle of good quality olive oil and grated parmesan.

Tuscan Kale Soup Recipe

You’ll Also Love These Recipes

Dutch Oven Soup

Slow Cooker Chicken Noodle Soup

Vegetable Lentil Soup

Detox Kale Pineapple Smoothie

If you make this Tuscan bean soup with kale please snap a photo and share on instagram using hashtag #rainbowdelicious and tag me @rainbowdelicious, I’d love to see how it turns out!

If you loved this Tuscan white bean kale soup and you’d like to have more recipes and delicious content emailed to your inbox please subscribe in the sidebar!

Some links on this site are affiliate links and I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you!