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Butternut Squash, Kale and White Bean Soup uses seasonal ingredients to create a comforting 1-pot meal. Ready in just 40 minutes, this warming, nourishing soup will become an instant favorite.
January brings a renewed sense of optimism and vitality for the year around. It’s the perfect opportunity to set new intentions, revisit goals and ambitions, and update your repertoire of recipes.
And, if you’re also looking to increase your intake of veggies, this soul-soothing soup will leave you feeling victorious.
It’s a recipe I love for its wholesome ingredients and versatility.
A hearty blend of butternut squash, aromatics, greens, and beans will warm you from the inside out. Especially served with a little extra Parmesan and some warm bread for dunking.
How to Make Kale and White Bean Soup
All you need is 40 minutes + 1 pot to make this comforting soup.
Plus, it’s freezer-friendly and makes for some of the BEST leftovers.
The Ingredients
- Butternut Squash: A golden jewel of winter produce, butternut squash is wonderfully sweet, nutty, and nutrient-dense. It pairs beautifully with the rustic flavors of this soup. You need 1 lb. of peeled and cubed squash, which amounts to one small squash.
- For convenience, you can also purchase the containers of peeled and pre-sliced squash.
- Kale: Packed with fiber and immune-supportive vitamins, kale helps create an impressive nutrition profile for this soup. If you’re not a fan of kale, you can use chard, escarole, or even spinach instead.
- White Beans: For a one-two punch of protein and fiber, use any white bean you like or have on hand! For example, Great Northern Beans, navy beans, or chickpeas.
- Onion: You need one medium yellow onion, which you can swap for shallots or sweet onion.
- Garlic: I love to REALLY amp up the garlicky goodness of this soup with 5 cloves. You can certainly adjust this amount to your taste preferences.
- Broth: If making vegetarian, use vegetable broth. Otherwise, chicken broth also works great.
- Heavy Cream: To create a luxuriously creamy finish, just 1/2 cup of heavy cream does all the heavy lifting. Alternatively, you can use cashew cream or full-fat coconut milk.
- Smoked Paprika: A little smokiness balances the sweetness of the butternut squash.
- Cheese: Savory, salty Parmesan is sprinkled in at the end for richness.
- Herbs: I love using a rustic winter herb, such as rosemary or sage, combined with fresh thyme. This soup has a lovely herbaceous backbone, which relies on fresh over dried herbs.
The Directions
Step 1: Sauté aromatics. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Once hot, add onions and celery; cook 8 minutes, until soft.
Step 2: Stir in garlic, chili flakes, butternut squash, and fresh thyme sprigs; cook 4 to 5 minutes, until aromatic.
Step 3: Add kale, white beans, broth, water, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper; increase heat to bring soup to a low boil.
Step 4: Reduce heat and simmer until the squash is tender, about 25 minutes.
Step 5: Remove thyme sprigs, and stir in heavy cream, Parmesan, and rosemary or sage. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Lastly, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with pumpkin seeds and additional Parmesan, if desired.
Serving Suggestions:
I love serving this soup with crusty bread for dunking. It also pairs well with many other light + flavorful dishes. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Salad: Try this Autumn Salad with Maple Vinaigrette, which is packed with good-for-you nutrients.
- Sandwich: You can’t beat a soup + sandwich combo! Try this Chickpea Tuna Salad, which is delicious wrapped in a tortilla or made into a sandwich.
- Meatballs: Stick with the rustic theme and try these amazing Eggplant Parmesan Meatballs. These Chickpea Meatballs are also an easy option that come together in just 20 minutes.
How to Store and Reheat:
- To Store. Refrigerate leftover soup in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Gently reheat soup in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat, adding a splash of broth or water as needed to thin the soup. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave, stopping to stir every 30 seconds for more even heating.
- To Freeze. Soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze soup in an airtight freezer-safe storage container. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
More Cozy Fall Soup Recipes
Thai Pumpkin Soup
Tuscan Creamy Gnocchi Soup
The Best Lentil Soup Recipe
Roasted Eggplant Soup
If you give this butternut squash, kale, and white bean soup a try, snap a pic and tag #dishingouthealth so I can see your beautiful creations. Also, follow along on Facebook and Pinterest for the latest recipe updates!
Butternut Squash, Kale, and White Bean Soup
Equipment
- 1 5 to 7-qt Dutch oven, cocotte, or stock pot
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp. chili flakes
- 1 lb. peeled and cubed butternut squash
- 8 thyme sprigs
- 1 (15-oz.) can Great Northern Beans, rinsed and drained (or chickpeas)
- 4 cups stemmed and roughly chopped lacinato kale
- 4 cups lower-sodium vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. black pepper
- 1/3 cup heavy cream (sub cashew cream*)
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- 1 to 2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh sage leaves
- Toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium. Once hot, add onions and celery; cook 8 minutes, until soft.Stir in garlic, chili flakes, butternut squash, and thyme sprigs; cook 4 to 5 minutes, until aromatic.
- Add white beans, kale, broth, water, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper; increase heat to bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes, or until squash is tender.
- Remove thyme sprigs, and stir in heavy cream, Parmesan, and sage. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- To Store. Refrigerate leftover soup in an airtight storage container for up to 4 days.
- To Reheat. Gently reheat soup in a pot on the stovetop over medium heat. You can also reheat individual portions in the microwave, stopping to stir every 30 seconds for more even heating.
- To Freeze. Soup can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze soup in an airtight freezer-safe storage container. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
I calculate these values by hand to ensure accuracy, however expect up to a 10% variable depending on food brands.
First time making it last night. I roasted the squash and added it at the very end. I also added ground mild Italian sausage to the pot after the onions and celery. Delicious! Had to sub red kidney beans because that is what I had on hand.
So so good! Will make again!
By far my favorite soup!! I’ve made this many times. Only change I’ve made is I omit the cashew cream or heavy cream, and use any plant based milk.
Made this tonight with the cashew cream–really delicious!
How many cups would 1lb.of cubed butternut squash be?
Wow, this soup is phenomenal 🤩. I used dry beans and cooked in chicken broth (in a crockpot). I sautéed the veggies per the recipe, added the spices and then added to the cooked beans and bean water in the crockpot. Cooked for another hour then added the kale and 1/3 cup of sour cream and turned crockpot on warm. A wonderful mix of hot and sweet served with homemade rye bread
My granddaughter made this a few weeks ago. She went a little heavy on the smoked paprika. We had a nice loaf of Lidl German bread and sourdough. They helped cut the smokiness of the paprika. It was very good. We followed the recipe except , we added a little more salt and pepper. Thank you.
Yay! I’m so happy the recipe was a hit! Thank you for coming back and leaving a review!
Incredible. INCREDIBLE! I used Better Than Bullion (reduced sodium vegetable base) for the broth. Was going to skip the cream & SO glad I didn’t. Luscious, hearty & elegant. Fabulous recipe.
I’m SO happy you enjoyed it!! Thank you for coming back and leaving a review! 🙂
My family loved it, even my youngest picky child. The soup was perfect for a non meat dinner and was easy to put together. Thank you!