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Our Love Language is Food > Recipes > Soups & Sides

Published: Jan 19, 2022 · Modified: Feb 24, 2025 by Meredith · This post may contain affiliate links · 11 Comments

Hearty Tuscan White Bean and Lentil Soup with Kale

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When you live in the Midwest, ‘Soup Season’ is a thing because of the long and cold winters we experience up here. Enjoying a nice big bowl of a delicious soup for dinner on a chilly day is a must to keep you warm and cozy. Spending a decade as a vegetarian in the Midwest means I’ve done a lot of experimenting with classic soup recipes that usually have meat in them so I could also enjoy a comforting meal when it’s cold out.

This Tuscan white bean and lentil soup is one of my all time favorites because of it’s lovely flavor and it’s ability to keep you full thanks to a lot of high-quality plant-based protein! Served up with a slice or two of crusty bread and you’ve got yourself a perfect meal.

While I love a good creamy soup, like our cheesy potato soup and wild rice and mushroom soup recipes, sometimes you don’t want such a heavy meal. Like my slow cooker vegetarian chili, this Tuscan white bean and lentil soup recipe isn’t cream based and heavy, making it a nice meal that feels light too.

Add this hearty and delicious Tuscan white bean soup to your winter rotation today!

close up of a white bowl filled with tuscan vegetable soup. The bowl is sitting on a plate with a spoon, and slices of french bread and grated cheese is shown in the background.
Jump to:
  • Why You’ll Love This Lentil Soup Recipe
  • Ingredients Needed
  • Recipe Variations and Substitutions
  • Broth Options for Tuscan White Bean Soup
  • Step-By-Step Instructions
  • Possible Dietary Restrictions?
  • Storage
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Love This Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
  • 📖 Tuscan Kale Soup with White Bean and Lentils

Why You’ll Love This Lentil Soup Recipe

Easy to make. Rinse, chop, measure, and cook… you can do it!

Great flavor. Italian spices blend with comforting chicken broth, legumes, and veggies to create a cozy and delicious dish.

Light yet filling. This Tuscan white bean soup with kale and lentils is light but filling thanks to the beans, lentils, and use of bone broth.

Ingredients Needed

ingredients needed to make tuscan kale soup with white beans and lentils.

Cannellini Beans. Cannellini beans are super nutritious! They’re fat free and an excellent source of fiber, folate, iron and magnesium. 

Brown Lentils. Did you know that lentils are a nutritional powerhouse? They are low in sodium and saturated fat, and high in protein, potassium, fiber, folate, and more. Using lentils is what makes this soup stand out compared to other Tuscan white bean soup recipes.

Yellow Onion. Onions add savory taste to dishes that can boost up meat-based broths and stocks or contribute to depth of flavor with vegetable based broths and stocks. Yellow onions are a great all-purpose onion, that are sweet and have nice texture (and the type I use most often in my cooking). 

Curly Kale, Carrots, Diced Tomatoes. We use lots of veggies in this recipe to add nutritional value, great texture, and deliciousness.

Garlic, Salt, Black Pepper, and Italian Seasoning. We’re using four simple spices to add big flavor to our white bean and lentil soup.

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

Soup recipes are easy to customize to your liking. Give one of these recipe variations a try if you’d like!

  • Use green lentils instead of brown lentils. Green lentils and brown lentils are often interchangeable, and both work well in this soup recipe. Green lentils are slightly larger than brown, and have a mildly peppery flavor vs. the more earthy flavor of brown lentils.
  • Try different beans. If you’re not finding cannellini beans amongst the cans of beans at your local grocery store, try great northern beans! They have a similar look and texture to cannellinis. You could also try navy beans or red kidney beans (another common substitution for cannellinis, even though they’re not white beans).
  • Substitute kale with fresh spinach. If kale isn’t your leafy greens of choice, spinach is a great substitute! Replace the kale 1-to-1 with fresh baby spinach. If you are doing this substitutions, please note that you should not add the spinach to the soup until the very end of cooking. Just before you’re ready to serve, add the fresh spinach to your pot and let it wilt for 1-2 minutes. Spinach has a much more delicate structure than kale, so does not need the extra time sautéing and simmering.
  • Option to add celery. If you love adding celery to soups, feel free to do so! Chop 2-3 stocks and add them in at the same time as the carrots and onions to sauté and soften.
  • Toss in a bay leaf. Bay leaves are a nice way to season long-cooking dishes like soups, stews, and braises. Adding in one bay leaf to your soup pot of Italian white bean soup with lentils during cooking is an easy way to enhance the soup’s depth of flavor. Just remember to pull the bay leaf out before serving!
  • Add a squeeze of fresh lemon before serving. Since lemon juice is an acid, it can be used to activate your taste buds (similar to what salt does). So when you add a little bit to your soup before serving, the other flavors you taste are enhanced, creating an umami effect.
  • Top with fresh herbs if desired. Add some fresh parsley or slices of fresh basil are a nice addition on top of this Tuscan soup.

Broth Options for Tuscan White Bean Soup

You have several broth options to choose from when making this soup recipe.

  • Chicken Bone Broth. Bone broth is a great choice for this soup recipe if you are not vegetarian. This type of broth adds a lot of additional protein, collagen, and all kinds of nutrients to your meal. I personally like Bare Bones Broth. Using chicken bone broth makes this soup recipe extra hearty, sustaining, and nutritious.
  • Chicken Broth. Standard chicken broth easy to find at the store and is a great option for this recipe.
  • Chicken Stock. Stock is pretty much the halfway step between regular broth and bone broth. Based on how stock is made, it is generally thicker and has more protein, vitamins, and minerals than standard broth. Chicken stock is another great option if that is what you have on hand.
  • Vegetable Broth (or Vegetable Stock). Selecting veggie broth or stock is a great option for this Tuscan white bean soup recipe if you are vegan or vegetarian.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1: Prepare Lentils. Sort through and rinse lentils until the water runs clear. Place lentils and water into a medium-sized saucepan and cook per package directions.

process shot showing tuscan white bean soup being made on the stove. showing minced garlic being added into the pot.

Step 2: Sauté olive oil, onion, carrot, salt, and pepper over medium heat until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.

process shot showing tuscan white bean soup being made on the stove. showing diced tomatoes being added into the pot.

Step 3: Deglaze your pan by adding in the tomatoes, and scrape the bottom of your pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits / residue (this is where the flavor lives!).

process shot showing tuscan white bean soup being made on the stove. showing fresh kale being poured into the pot.

Step 4: Add the Italian seasoning and the kale and sauté until the kale is bright green and partially tender.

process shot showing tuscan white bean soup being made on the stove. showing cooked lentils being poured into the pot.

Step 5: Add the remaining ingredients (the beans, cooked lentils, and broth) and let the soup simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes.

Possible Dietary Restrictions?

This Tuscan kale soup with white beans and lentils can easily be modified to fit a variety of dietary needs (without losing it’s deliciousness!):

  • To make this into a vegetarian or vegan Tuscan white bean and kale soup recipe, simply select vegetable broth when making this recipe. Those wanting a vegan soup will also need to omit the shredded parmesan for topping, or substitute it with a vegan alternative.
  • To make this into a dairy free soup recipe, do not use the shredded parmesan for topping. Or substitute with a dairy-free cheese alternative that you like.
  • This recipe is already written to be a gluten free soup recipe, however, if you are serving this Tuscan white bean soup to someone with gluten intolerance it is wise to ensure the broth you use specifically notes ‘gluten free’ on the package.
close up of a white bowl filled with tuscan vegetable soup. The bowl is sitting on a plate with a spoon, and slices of french bread and grated cheese is shown in the background.

Storage

In the fridge: store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

In the freezer: Tuscan kale and white bean soup with lentils is also a great soup to freeze! I recommend placing your soup into individual sized, air-tight containers. You can freeze soup for up to 3 months.

Recipe FAQs

Is there a difference between cannellini beans and great northern beans?

Generally cannellini beans and great northern beans are considered to be interchangeable in many recipes. However, they are different. Cannellini beans are larger in size and shaped like a kidney bean. They have a mild earthiness and slightly nutty flavor. Cannellini beans have a thicker skin which results in a creamy texture after cooking. Great northern beans are slightly smaller than cannellini beans, and have a thinner skin, resulting in a slightly less creamy texture after cooking.

What beans can I substitute for cannellini?

Great northern beans are the best substitute for cannellini beans if you cannot find them. You could also try navy beans or red kidney beans (another common substitution for cannellinis, even though they’re not white beans).

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Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating & comment below! You can also tag @ourlovelanguageisfood on Instagram & Facebook. Be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get free recipes sent directly to your inbox!

top down view of a bowl of tuscan white bean soup. the bowl is surrounded by slices of bread.

📖 Tuscan Kale Soup with White Bean and Lentils

Meredith
Hearty and delicious, this Tuscan white bean soup with kale and lentils is the perfect soup for a cold day. Packed with protein, veggies, fibers, and nutrients, this soup is a nutritious dinner option that tastes great too!
5 from 12 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Soup
Cuisine American, Italian
Servings 12 Servings

Equipment

  • Medium Saucepan
  • Liquid Measuring Cup
  • Vegetable Peeler
  • Paring or Chefs Knife
  • Cutting Board
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Large Dutch Oven
  • Wooden Spoon

Ingredients
  

  • 1 + ½ Cups dry brown lentils
  • 3 Cups water
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 4-5 large, or 5-7 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 + ½ Tablespoons Italian Seasoning
  • 1, 28 ounce can diced tomatoes (I use petite diced)
  • 6 Cups de-stemmed, chopped, and tightly packed curly kale
  • 2, 15 ounce cans cannellini beans
  • 6 Cups broth of choice (chicken bone broth, chicken broth, chicken stock, or vegetable broth)
  • Optional: grated parmesan cheese for topping, French bread for dipping.

Instructions
 

  • Prepare Lentils: Sort through and rinse lentils until the water runs clear. Place lentils and water into a medium-sized saucepan and cook per package directions (the standard brown lentils, sometimes just labeled as lentils on the package, cook for about 20-30 minutes)
  • While the lentils are cooking, add the olive oil, onion, carrot, salt, and pepper to a large saucepan or Dutch oven and sauté over medium heat until the onions are translucent (about 10 minutes).
  • Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant (30 seconds-1 minute).
  • Deglaze your pan by adding in the tomatoes, and scrape the bottom of your pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits / residue (this is where the flavor lives!).
  • Add the Italian seasoning and the kale and sauté until the kale is bright green and partially tender (about 5-10 minutes)
  • Add the beans, cooked lentils, and broth and let simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes.
  • Serve and enjoy! Option to top with grated parmesan cheese and/or with a side of crusty French bread
  • Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.*

Notes

Recipe Variations and Substitutions
  • Use green lentils instead of brown lentils. Replace 1-for-1 for this swap. 
  • Try different beans. Great northern beans are the best substitute for cannellini beans. You can also try navy beans or red kidney beans. 
  • Substitute kale with fresh spinach. Replace the kale 1-to-1 with fresh baby spinach. If you are doing this substitutions, please note that you should not add the spinach to the soup until the very end of cooking. Just before you’re ready to serve, add the fresh spinach to your pot and let it wilt for 1-2 minutes. Spinach has a much more delicate structure than kale, so does not need the extra time sautéing and simmering.
  • Option to add celery. If you love adding celery to soups, feel free to do so! Chop 2-3 stocks and add them in at the same time as the carrots and onions to sauté and soften.
  • Toss in a bay leaf. Adding in one bay leaf to your soup at the same time as the broth to enhance the soup’s depth of flavor. Just remember to pull the bay leaf out before serving!
  • Add a squeeze of fresh lemon before serving. Doing this can enhance the other flavors you taste are enhanced, creating an umami effect.
  • Top with fresh herbs if desired. Add some fresh parsley or slices of fresh basil are a nice addition on top of this Tuscan soup.
 
Storage: This soup can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week -OR- frozen for up to 3 months.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 12 votes (7 ratings without comment)

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    How many stars would you give this recipe?




  1. Esme Slabbert says

    October 10, 2023 at 4:43 pm

    What an awesome and magnificent soup – love the kale added.

    I visited you via Fall Soup Recipes with Beans & Peas from Your Garden as she linked to this post.
    Come and join us at SeniorSalonPitStop and share your awesome posts with us. You will find the linkup information under BLOGGING.

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      October 11, 2023 at 8:42 pm

      So happy to hear that you loved this soup, and how you found it! Hope you can try some more yummmy recipes too!

      Reply
  2. Stephanie Reynolds says

    January 20, 2023 at 8:13 pm

    5 stars
    Loved it! Only thing I added was diced ham which I wanted to use up and substituted diced tomatoes with mild Chiles cuz that’s what I had. Flavor perfect, seasoning perfect and lots, and lots to have for another day.

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      January 24, 2023 at 11:10 am

      I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this soup recipe Stephanie! Love your swaps/add-ins, way to use up what you had on hand! Thanks for making this recipe 🙂

      Reply
  3. Luci says

    May 12, 2022 at 6:53 pm

    5 stars
    Ok, I am a kale skeptic, but this was sooooooo good, maybe I will stop criticizing kale! Very flavorful, filling, perfect for a weeknight supper.

    Reply
    • ourlovelanguageisfood says

      May 12, 2022 at 9:57 pm

      I’m so glad you gave kale another chance and enjoyed it in this recipe! Thanks for trying it!

      Reply
  4. Mary says

    May 07, 2022 at 8:27 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious. Satisfying. Easy to make.
    Perfect with crusty bread and a good wine!

    Reply
    • ourlovelanguageisfood says

      May 07, 2022 at 8:54 pm

      Totally agree! Glad to hear you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  5. David says

    April 18, 2022 at 12:37 pm

    5 stars
    This is so filling. I’m a big meat eater, but this still hit the spot.

    Reply
    • ourlovelanguageisfood says

      April 18, 2022 at 12:53 pm

      I’m so glad you gave it a shot! Thank you for the kind feedback <3.

      Reply
    • Mary says

      May 07, 2022 at 8:28 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious. Satisfying. Easy to make.
      Perfect with crusty bread and a good wine!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Meredith!

I am a Midwest-based foodie and mom working full time by day and sharing my passion for all things food by night. Follow along for great recipes to share with your family and friends. I've got you covered for breakfast, dinner, snack-time, parties, desserts, drinks, and more!

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