Smoky kale and white bean soup made in less than 30 minutes thanks to the instant pot. The flavors in this super easy meal will make your mouth water!
It’s like soup magic has happened in my kitchen! Such an easy healthy meal done in less time than it takes me to break up a kid fight. Getting your protein and greens all in one step is often the easy road I need.
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.
How do you soak dried beans overnight?
Simple! 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.
How do you quick soak dried beans?
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.
How do you make Instant Pot kale and white bean soup?
It’s one of the easiest and fastest soups I’ve made using dried beans!
- Sauté using the sauce function on the Instant Pot.
- Add the rest of the ingredients except the broth and sauté more.
- Add the broth and pressure cook.
- Eat it up!
How do you make kale and white bean soup on the stove?
You can definitely make this on the stove top. The only difference would be using a soup pot over the stove and increasing the cooking time significantly.
Can I use canned beans instead of dried?
Yep! All you do is add them at the very end, then cover and keep warm so they can heat up. I much prefer the texture of dried, but canned work too!
Looking for other heart-warming vegan soup recipes? Check out some of these favorites!
- Indo-Chinese Corn Soup
- Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup
- 20-Minute Low-Fat Detox Bok Choy Miso Noodle Soup
- Vegan Creamy Spinach Pea Soup
- Healthy Tomato Soup Recipe
Vegan Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups dry white beans , soaked overnight or quick soaked with 2 teaspoons of baking soda (see note, can also use canned beans)
- 1 yellow or sweet onion , chopped
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon sea salt , optional depending on sausage used
- splash of your favorite oil for sautéing , or veggie broth if avoiding oil
- 2 vegan sausages , smoky or Italian flavored, gluten-free if needed (see note)
- 1 bunch lacinato/flat leaf/dino kale or swiss chard
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon liquid smoke , add more if not using smoky flavored sausage
- 8 cups veggie broth , low sodium if needed
- Grateable Vegan Parmesan Cheese , optional
Instructions
- Rinse soaked beans well to remove all traces of baking soda.
Stove top method:
- Sauté onions, carrots, oregano and thyme with salt (if using) and a drizzle of oil or splash of broth until the onions begin to soften.
- Add the beans (if using dried), sausage, kale and liquid smoke. Sauté for a few more minutes.
- Add the broth.
- Cover and simmer for about 40-50 minutes, checking beans often for consistency.
- Add kale about 30 minutes into cooking so it doesn’t get too soft.
- Once beans are soft turn off heat and serve with Parmesan if desired (highly recommended!)
Instant Pot Method:
- Turn the sauté setting on on the Instant Pot. Sauté onions, carrots, oregano and thyme with salt (if using) and a drizzle of oil or splash of broth until the onions begin to soften.
- Add the beans (if using dried), sausage, kale and liquid smoke. Sauté for a few more minutes.
- Turn the sauté function off and add the broth.
- Put the top on and set to manual pressure cook on high for 20 minutes.
- When it's done, release the steam valve carefully so you don't get a steam burn.
- Allow all the steam to release then uncover and serve! If you are using canned beans, add them here after you drain and rinse them, put the top back on and allow to sit for about 10 or so minutes so the beans get warm.
- Serve with Parmesan if desired, but highly recommended!
Notes
- Prep for dried beans: Soak your beans for 8 hours to overnight or quick soak for 1-2 hours (see post for method).
- Make sure to rinse the soaked beans well to get off all of the baking soda.
- If your beans are not getting soft even after cooking extra time, then it is probably an issue with the beans being bad or old.
- You can also use canned beans, just add them to the end (see instructions).
- I used precooked sausages, but if using uncooked then sauté them first with the onions and carrots.
- You can also use tempeh instead of sausage
Recipe by Veggies Don’t Bite, visit our site for more great plant-based recipes.
Nutrition
Nutrition and metric information should be considered an estimate.
Amy says
This recipe is delicious. I chucked in some barley to make it more filling and it worked out perfectly as it has the same cook time in the Instant Pot.
veggiesdontbite says
I am so happy you liked it Amy!! Love the addition of the barley.
Debbie Rogers says
This soup is SO delicious and satisfying. In using liquid smoke, you’d swear there’s pork in this soup. It’s great to serve to meat eaters who think we eat flavorless rabbit food! Way to prove them wrong!
veggiesdontbite says
Yay! So happy you liked it! Yes! the smoky flavor really helps. Have you tried my authentic bolognese yet? I add a touch of liquid smoke there to mimic the pork flavor used by authentic recipes! SO good!
Jenny says
Made this recipe tonight. It was delicious! I could not find a vegan sausage that’s gluten free so I omitted that part. Just added more beans. My fiancé likes real sausage, so we found him a grass-fed and minimally processed brand. Thanks for another great recipe!!
veggiesdontbite says
So happy to hear Jenny!! Glad it worked without the sausage. You should try the Tempeh next time. They make one already covered with smoky seasoning!
steviefbillman says
This soup is full of flavor and it’s a great comfort meal on tough days!
Keith says
I made this tonight. Very good! The only real change I made was using dried herbs because I didn’t have fresh. Used tofurky sausage which is delish! Thanks!
veggiesdontbite says
That’s so great!! Thank you SO much for letting me know!
Amy says
This sounds SO good Sophia!! Any thoughts on making it in the crock pot? Would love to come home to this one night!
veggiesdontbite says
Thanks Amy! I actually tried the crockpot with this and had trouble getting the beans to cook right. Starting with dry beans can get tricky, but I am still going to play with it because I would love a crock pot version too! One idea is that you can use canned beans and put them in about 5-10 minutes before you serve it. Let me know if you try it and how it works out! Also, I will be trying out a crockpot “creamy” tomato soup in a few weeks so look out for that one if you like crockpot meals!
Laura says
I’m loving white beans right now – and that soup looks delicious!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you Laura! Please let me know how it turns out if you give it a try.
The Editors of Garden Variety says
This looks wonderful. I will try making it tonight. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you so much! Please let me know how it turns out! And you can always use canned beans and add them at the end if you don’t have time to soak them.
herohealthroom says
Great recipe, thanks! Will be giving it a try sometime!
Luke
veggiesdontbite says
Thank you Luke! It’s my new favorite soup of the season and not too hard to make. Let me know how it turns out if you give it a try!