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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.
I had butternut squash stored that I needed to start using, and I searched out a small one to make this recipe. I also had some cream leftover from Christmas, and thyme growing outside that I cut and shook the snow off. I made the recipe exactly as written. What a delicious soup! It will definitely be made again and again.
So delicious! A great recipe
Very delicious I can’t wait to make this soup again. I even left out the heavy cream and it still had so much flavor I didn’t even miss it.
SO GOOD. I had some squash that needed to be used, decided I would make this. It is so much better than I was prepared for! Excellent flavor, tastes great reheated and makes me feel like I’m eating healthy! I will totally make this again. Thanks for a great recipe!
100% agree! I was surprised how incredible this was!
Great recipe. Love love love. I added chicken sausage for more protein.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this one, Amy! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
I made this wonderful recipe with just a couple exchanges ….cubed pumpkin in place of the squash and half in half in place of the cream. I invited 5 friends over to play Mexican Train and eat this fall soup/stew. We all LOVED it !!! I’ll be making this again. Just delicious.
I don’t write reviews often- but with this recipe I just HAD to write one. It is AMAZING!!!! One I will definitely make over and over again. Subbed half and half for heavy cream and was still amazing!!!
Hi jamie!
Can i use frozen butternut squash? If yes, how can i apply it to your recipe.
I used frozen, and it took a fraction of the time to cook. Just check on it for tenderness. I followed timing given in the recipe and my frozen squash practically disintegrated. It was still yummy though!
I love DOH recipes, but this one disappointed. The only thing I did differently was use frozen squash. The squash seemed to overwhelm the flavor of everything else. Might try again with fresh.
Try using less squash next time or more parm. I noticed my Parmesan was so strong that it overpowered the flavor. Must be about balance I guess. I def overdid it w cheese. I added more broth and leftovers were better. Hope yours works out next time!
Really, really good! I baked the squash because it’s easier than peeling and cutting it raw; and omitted the thyme & pumpkin seeds due to personal preference, and used 1/2 & 1/2 because that’s what I had. I loved the flavor of the smoked paprika.
Such a cozy flavorful soup!!
Would really love to make this but I am on a crazy diet due to my breastfeeding daughter!! I cant do nuts, dairy, or legumes! Considering trying this with coconut milk, cauliflower (instead of legumes), and maybe nutritional yeast?? Just dying for some cozy soups I can make lol
If you search for “AIP” recipes (Autoimmune Protocol) they will be free of dairy, nuts, and legumes 🙂 There are a lot of great AIP recipes available for soups and other dishes.