Vegan Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup

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This kale and white bean soup is filled with veggies, vegan sausage and has incredible flavor. Perfect for the whole family!

Top view of sausage, kale, white bean and carrot soup on a grey napkin

This recipe was originally published on 1/9/14

I love all in one easy meals and this soup has got me drooling! It comes together easily, once you remember to soak the beans (raise your hand if you forget, ME!) and the flavor is incredible.

Not only is this soup easy to make and delicious, but it's made with minimal dishes so easy cleanup. Plus it's healthy and loaded with veggies as well, talk about a win, win, win, win!

Ingredients

The ingredients you need to make this deliciously comforting kale and white bean soup are:

White beans
Onion
Carrots
Vegan Sausages
Kale
Veggie broth
Liquid Smoke
Seasonings

Ingredients needed to make a bean, kale and sausage soup on a wooden surface

How to Make Kale White Bean Soup

It's one of the easiest soups I've made using dried beans! Here are the steps to take when making it in the Instant Pot:

Sauté the veggies.
Add the rest of the ingredients except the broth and sauté more.
Add the broth and pressure cook.
Serve!

Stovetop instructions

You can also easily make this soup on the stovetop. Here's what to do:

Sauté the veggies.
Add the beans, sausage, kale and liquid smoke and continue to sauté.
Stir in the broth.
Cover and simmer.
After 30 minutes add the kale.
Serve!

Serving suggestions

Pair with some drop biscuits and add some extra pizzaz to the soup with toppings such as:

Vegan Parmesan
Croutons
Fresh Herbs
Crusty bread for dipping
Chickpea Sausage Crumbles
Coconut Bacon

Tips and tricks

Here are a few helpful suggestions that should come in handy when making this soup:

If using dry white beans, make sure to soak and rinse them. See below for more details.
For canned beans, wait to add until the end so they don't overcook.
Either a yellow or sweet onion is recommended.
You can use either lacinato, flat leaf, or dino kale. If kale isn't your jam, try swiss chard.
Prep the kale by rinsing and drying. Then, slice the leaves away from the ribs. You can choose to massage or not before adding to the soup.
When using the pressure cooker, release the steam valve carefully so you don't get burned.
I used precooked sausages, but if using uncooked then sauté them first with the onions and carrots.
You can also substitute the sausage for tempeh.

Soaking suggestions

To soak the beans overnight here's what to do:

Put them in a bowl and cover them with water. You want almost double to triple the water height because the beans will expand.
I also put 1 teaspoon baking soda per 1 cup beans. This helps reduce the indigestible sugars even more, it also helps the beans cook more evenly. Just remember to rinse the beans well to get all of the baking soda off!
Soak for 8 hours to overnight and rinse when done.

You can also do a quick soak:

Much like soaking overnight, you put the beans in a pot and cover with water about double the height of beans. I use the baking soda method here too.
Bring the beans to a boil over high heat, boil for 1-2 minutes.
Take the pot off the heat, cover and allow to soak for about 1-2 hours.
Rinse well.

Common Questions

What is the healthiest soup?

Any recipe that includes all the nutrients you need in one easy to make meal is a winner. This kale and white bean soup has it all, protein, greens, veggies and loads of flavor.

If it's easy to make, even better. You are more likely to make easy meals again so healthy ones are always a good thing. Instant pot soup is a good go-to because they are ready quickly and you aren't waiting for hours.

Do you have to soak dried beans before cooking them?

Soaking beans is optional, but there are a few benefits if you do:
You will remove some of the indigestible sugars which makes them easier on the belly.
They will cook much faster, mom win.

There are two ways you can soak your beans:
Overnight or for 8 hours, for when you are killing it prep wise.
The quick soak method, for the times you forget you need to feed your family.

What is the thickener in a white bean soup?

You can thicken any soup by adding a slurry of cornstarch and cold water mixed together. Start with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and two tablespoons of water.

What are white beans?

White beans refer to a few different varieties of beans that are white in color. They include Northern beans, Cannellini beans, Navy beans, and baby lima beans. They are all quite similar and can be used interchangeably.

Are Great Northern beans the same as white beans?

Great Northern beans are a type of white bean, so yes.

Are white northern beans the same as cannellini?

While the two are both white beans, they have a few differences. Northern beans are smaller, result in a creamy type texture, and are higher in fiber. Cannellini beans are the largest white bean, and have a more meaty texture.

More Vegan Soup Recipes

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