This super simple potato and white bean soup is healthy, filling, and vegan. With nutritious cannellini beans and a hearty serving of kale, this easy soup recipe doesn't require a long simmer time. Ready in 45 minutes!
A distant cousin of family-favorite escarole and beans, this potato and white bean soup recipe has taken on many forms in my kitchen throughout the years. I usually have some form of potato, broth, canned white beans, non-dairy milk, and leafy greens on hand, meaning this tasty, healthy soup is only 45 minutes away at all times.
Not to sell the actual soup itself short, but I am ALL about the toppings here. Lemon juice, olive oil, or good-quality balsamic vinegar (or all three!) transform a solid base recipe into something we absolutely crave.
Note: The photos in this post were updated in September 2023 from its initial publish date of January 2017. Over the years I've slightly adapted the recipe: I now double the beans, use a pre-made spice blend, and add a few extra toppings. The changes are reflected in the recipe card below.
Reasons to Love This Soup
- Blending the potatoes, onions, and one can of beans is a healthy way to thicken up a creamy soup without adding cream.
- Adding the other can of beans after blending adds welcome texture.
- Using a less-expected seasoning blend adds a unique and tasty flavor, but your favorite all-purpose spices totally work in this versatile recipe.
- The serving suggestions! Over the nearly seven years I've been making this soup I've perfected the finishing touches that truly take this potato bean soup over the top.
Soup Ingredients
- Potatoes: This potato and white bean soup is blended, so it's not important to use a variety that holds up well to a brisk simmer. Russet or Yukon gold are my usual picks.
- White Beans: Cannellini beans (also known as white kidney beans) are a popular option for their mild flavor, though great Northern beans are very similar and work, too. Rinsing and draining canned beans removes a sizable amount of sodium.
- Broth: Either vegetable or chicken broth mesh nicely with these flavors. I always choose a reduced-sodium variety.
- Milk: Using non-dairy milk ensures this recipe remains vegan. I've come to love oat milk in this soup, especially "extra creamy" oat milk. Unsweetened almond milk is another good option.
- Garlic: And a lot of it!
- Seasoning: The base flavor of this soup is mild, so you have creative license to mix and match dried herbs and spices as you like. Herbes de Provence is my secret ingredient in Guinness beef stew, and adds a special touch to creamy white bean soup.
- Kale: Wilted in at the end of the cook time to provide bite and a whole host of vitamins and nutrients, including vitamins A and K, fiber, and folate. Kale has a huge benefit over spinach in soups in that it doesn't get overly wilted and slimy. Curly kale or Lacinato (also known as dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale) are all fine.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Sauté - Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until golden and becoming tender. Season with salt and pepper.
- Simmer - Pour in the broth and add chopped potatoes and seasoning. Simmer covered for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Blend - Add one can of the beans and milk and blend to your preferred consistency.
- Wilt - Stir in the other can of beans and the chopped kale, then cook until the kale is wilted and tender.
Serving Suggestions
At its base this potato and white bean soup is nutritious with a satisfying and hearty texture, but doesn't have a bold flavor. Understandable, given that potatoes and white beans aren't exactly pungent powerhouses!
Over the years I've landed on three delicious add-ins for serving that truly take this soup to the next level. Choose one, two, or all three (usually me) in line with your tastes.
- Lemon Juice: I will squeeze the juice from half of a lemon into the pot of soup before ladling into bowls. It doesn't really add any lemon flavor, but provides a noticeable background brightness.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil: Forever a favorite for drizzling on creamy soups.
- Balsamic Vinegar: With its rich, smooth flavor, good-quality balsamic is a game-changer when it comes to accent touches for serving. I keep a bottle of condiment-grade balsamic vinegar on hand for dipping bread, finishing risotto (and farrotto!), topping soups, and more. It's a great middle ground between pricey real deal traditional balsamic and the standard supermarket stuff.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Blending - If you don't have an immersion blender, carefully transfer a portion of the soup at a time to a stand blender to puree, then return to the pot. Make sure to do this in batches so the blender doesn't overflow with hot soup.
- Blender Alternative - Use a potato masher to break up the potatoes and beans. The soup won't become as smooth as it would with electric blending, but will have a more rustic but still enjoyable texture.
- Storage - Store leftover soup in air-tight containers in the refrigerator and consume within 3-4 days.
Potato and White Bean Soup FAQs
Yes. Add leftover portions to a freezer-safe air-tight container or freezer bag. Cool in the refrigerator before transferring to the freezer for up to several months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Switching up the dried spices used is an easy way to take this soup in a different flavor direction. Italian seasoning or the individual dried herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, etc.) works well. Also consider adding crushed red pepper flakes or several dashes of hot sauce if you like heat.
More Creamy Soup Recipes
If you’ve enjoyed this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating in the recipe card and/or a comment review below!
Potato and White Bean Soup with Kale
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper or to taste
- 4 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 pound Russet or Yukon gold potatoes peeled and cut into ¾-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence or your preferred dried seasonings
- 2 15.5-oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 bunch (about 9 ounces) Lacinato kale or curly kale
- Half of a lemon juiced
- Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
- Condiment-grade balsamic vinegar for drizzling
Instructions
- Add 3 Tablespoons of olive oil to a large pot set over medium heat. Once heated, add the onion and cook for 6-7 minutes, or until turning golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper.
- If there are browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot, pour in a splash of the broth to deglaze it, scraping them up. Add the rest of the broth, the potatoes, and the Herbes de Provence (or whichever dried spices you're using). Cover the pot, adjust the heat so it's at a nice simmer, and cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Use this time to prep the kale: slice away the leaves from the center tough stem and chop them into roughly bite-sized pieces. Discard the stems or reserve for another purpose. Set aside the kale leaves for now (do not add them to the pot yet).
- Once the potatoes are tender, add one can of drained and rinsed beans and the milk to the pot and let heat for 1-2 minutes. Immersion blend the soup until smooth or to your preferred consistency.
- Stir in the remaining can of rinsed and drained beans and add the chopped kale. Simmer uncovered for 8 or so minutes, or until the kale has wilted.
- At this point taste for seasonings: add more salt or pepper as desired, other dried spices, crushed red pepper for heat, etc. Stir in the juice of half of a lemon.
- Serve alongside crusty bread and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and/or condiment-grade balsamic vinegar.
- Store leftover soup in an air-tight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. Once cooled, leftover portions can also be frozen for several months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Notes
- Milk: Oat milk (extra-creamy or original) or almond milk work well. Lite coconut milk is fine to use if you don't mind its flavor.
- Leafy Greens: Fresh spinach is a good substitute for kale, but it will reduce more and can become a bit slimy. If going that route, it will only require a couple of minutes to wilt.
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon dried dill
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
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Kim says
This recipe is super delicious and I'll definitely be making it again. However, it was a bit confusing. At one part is says to add the potatoes then saute, then farther down it says to add the potatoes with the rest of the broth. There are 3 different places to add beans and there is never a mention on when to add the milk.
Alyssa says
Hi Kim, I'm so glad you like this soup! Thank you for letting me know about the instructions. I updated this post and some of the steps got jumbled in the process - I've gone ahead and fixed it now. I'm sorry for the confusion!
Kinya says
Can’t wait to try this. But I can’t find 16oz can of beans. They only come in 14.5oz cans in my supermarkets. Is that okay or is that a typo?
Alyssa says
Hi Kinya, I just checked both a store brand and a name brand of cannellini beans in my pantry and they're both 15.5 ounces. Thank you for commenting because I will update to be more precise with the size! If all you can find are 14.5 oz cans that's totally fine to use here, too.
Elaine Dame says
Can you make this soup without potatoes? Or use sweet potatoes? Or substitute another veggie?
Alyssa says
Hi Elaine, sweet potatoes would work. I haven't tried these ways myself, but I'd say cauliflower or rutabaga would also be fine, too.
KarenB says
I've made this 3x now and it's a firm favorite, it's filling and nutritious.
Thank you for the fabulous recipe!
Alyssa says
You're so welcome, Karen. Glad you like it!
Betty Wright Moccio says
I tried this soup and loved its creaminess and flavor....making it again tomorrow. It’s so easy and nutritious and I also use my immersion blender, it’s sooo handy and easy to clean. Thanks
Alyssa says
So glad you liked it, Betty! I've since gotten an immersion blender and you're right - it's a total breeze.
Rebecca says
I love kale soups, can't wait to try this recipe!
Alyssa says
Hope you enjoy, Rebecca! 🙂
Sandra says
Love all these nutritious ingredients and the way you thickened up the soup! Great idea and perfect timing...I’m freezing and will make this belly warming meal this week!
Alyssa says
Thanks Sandra!
Kim says
This was so stinking good!! Temp is currently 24 degrees and this hit the spot. I omitted dill and oregano just because they’re not my favorite. I added celery salt. Shut. My. Face!! Thank you.
Alyssa says
Hi Kim, I'm so happy you liked it!! It's definitely a favorite on those cold days. 🙂 Glad you tweaked the flavors as you like them!
Flora says
Hi Alyssa-- I've made your potato leek soup twice already, & we love it! I will definitely be trying this one.
(Michele's mom )
Alyssa says
Hi there!!! I'm so glad you like the potato leek soup! It's one of our favorites. Not hard to throw together and pretty healthy to boot. I hope you enjoy this one when you give it a try! 🙂
Bill says
Great recipe. I hate when people change a recipe on their first attempt, but I did alter it slightly. I used an immersion blender on the onion, potato, garlic and white bean mix and then added an additional can of rinsed white beans and the kale. It was hearty and delicious.
Alyssa says
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Bill. I actually just got an immersion blender so that's what I'll be using for this soup from now on. And the extra white beans sounds like a great addition!
Sunshine says
I made this soup for lunch today and it came out fabulous! You have the seasonings just right and the texture is so good. I did use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth so it was vegan all the way. Thank you for the wonderful, healthy and very flavorful soup recipe- I will be adding to my list of favorites!
Alyssa says
Thanks so much, Helen! It's a little weird to have temperatures so warm. And then especially so when you're digging out the winter coat the next day. Happy New Year, and best wishes to you and your family over the next few weeks!!
Alyssa says
Yup, love kale and spinach in soup. Thanks Marcie!
Alyssa says
Such a range! Craziness. Thanks Gayle!
Alyssa says
Haha yes! They'd be hard pressed to pick out the beans here. 🙂 Thanks Sherri!