Vegan Potato Kale Soup

5 from 14 votes

This simple peasant soup recipe is easy, healthy, and delicious!

Course: main course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: peasant food, rustic soup, Tuscan-style

Servings: servings

Calories: 181kcal

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 medium-large onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, diced
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan sea salt
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth, such as Pacific Foods brand
1-1/2 pounds medium potatoes, quartered then cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 large carrots, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
1/2 to 3/4 pound lacinato kale (or another variety) tough stems removed, then chopped
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans (do not drain), no salt added, such as Eden Foods brand
Chopped parsley for garnish, optional

Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat with a bit of the onion. When the onion begins to sizzle, add the rest of the onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
Add the garlic, pepper, and salt. Stir and cook for a couple of more minutes.
The idea is to sweat the onions; soften them and draw out their natural sweetness, but not brown them.
Add the broth, potatoes, carrots, and kale to the pot. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cover so that it stays at a lively simmer. Stir often and adjust the heat if necessary. If the heat is too low, it will take longer to cook. If the heat is too high, you'll evaporate too much of the broth.
Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the potatoes, carrots, and kale are all very tender. When the vegetables are all almost done, stir in the cannellini beans (including the bean juice from the can).
Remove from heat. Using a potato masher, smash about a third of the potatoes (right in the pot); this will thicken the broth. It's okay if other ingredients get smashed too. Stir well.
Taste and adjust the salt and pepper if desired.
Garnish with parsley when serving.

Kale, and other greens, have tough stems that extend up into the leaves. I recommend removing the stems before chopping the leaves.

Removing stems from collard greens – same principal applies to kale