Cozy Chicken Kale Soup makes for a hearty, comforting classic with an aromatic broth laden with chicken, kale, cannellini beans, and vegetables. This simple one-pot meal is stove to table ready in 30 minutes or less.
As far as I’m concerned, soup season is the most wonderful time of the year. Simple suppers are sanity savers for our busy household. Knowing that I can have a delicious, nutritious pot of Meatball Soup or White Chicken Chili on the table fast makes me feel like I have my life together, even if that moment is fleeting.
It really doesn’t get easier than this! Chicken Soup is kicked up a notch with a blend of fresh garlic and spices, leafy green kale, and cannellini beans. It’s the perfect base for almost all my soups, so customization is easy, and one pot cooking makes clean up a breeze. It’s everything you love about chicken noodle soup, but more. A bright and colorful bowl of happy.
The soup base is as easy as making a classic Mirepoix – we get to be all fancy sounding! Mirepoix is a mix of aromatic vegetables, finely diced (in this case celery, onion, and carrots) that are cooked in butter or oil to bring out the flavor and sweetness of the vegetables.
Ingredients and Notes
Below is an overview of what you will need to make this recipe. There are also some notes on substitutions if you need them.
Chicken: Any shredded chicken is fine, whether chicken breast or whole chicken parts. Store-bought, rotisserie chicken is convenient. You can also prepare your own chicken and freeze it ahead of time.
Cannellini Beans: I usually use canned, low-sodium cannellini beans, which are sometimes referred to as white kidney beans. Egg noodles, Great northern beans, kidney beans, or garbanzos are other easy options.
Kale: Remove the hard stalk and tear into small, bit-sized pieces for soups. You could substitute fresh or frozen spinach or other leafy green.
Chicken Broth: I prefer to use the lower sodium options in my soup recipes & add salt as desired.
Carrots, Celery, & Onion: Make sure your vegetables are fresh and cut into similar sized pieces to ensure they cook uniformly. I prefer chunkier soups, So I like to dice them a little larger.
Herbs: Dried or fresh herbs are fine to use.
Step By Step Recipe Guide
While the full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, I often include this visual guide as a way to show how the soup comes together and offer tips.
* The easiest way to shred chicken is to put it in a kitchen aid mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat at level 2-4 to perfectly shred the chicken in less than a minute!
Sweat the Vegetables. The veggies don’t have to be completely tender as they will cook a bit more in the broth. The herbs are put in just before the broth to wake up their flavors. (photo 1)
Warm the broth and beans. Bring the vegetables, chicken broth & cannellini beans to a simmer for a few minutes. (photo 2)
Add shredded chicken and kale. Continue simmering until all ingredients are completely warmed through and the kale is slightly wilted. Season with salt & pepper to taste. It’s nice and hearty! (photo 3)
RECIPE TIPS
- Make sure to cut the kale into smaller than bite sized pieces. I am often said to cut my vegetables quite large.
- A store-bought rotisserie chicken makes this super quick to make. Turkey and ground pork are other options to use.
- I prefer fresh vegetables, but frozen carrots, celery, and onion can be used in a pinch.
- You can also add a bite-sized pasta if you like such as orzo, bowtie, or capellini instead of beans.
- For added flavor, top with 1-2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese.
Serving and Storage Suggestions
What to serve with Chicken Kale Soup? One of my favorite ways to enjoy a warm bowl of soup is always a fresh, crusty loaf of bread, but it works wonderfully with a Winter Fruits Salad, Paninis, Ham Sliders, and Cobb Salad.
Store: Store in a well-sealed, airtight container in the refrigerator. Lasts 3-4 days.
Freeze: This is a great recipe to make ahead and freeze. Allow to completely cool before freezing and store in a Ziplock freezer with the air removed. Lasts about 3-4 months.
Video Instructions
Want to see how this soup comes together? I have included a step-by-step video below.
More Comforting Soup Recipes
- Broccoli Cheddar Soup
- Chicken & Wild Rice Soup
- Cincinnati Style Chili
- Chicken Tortilla Soup (Crock Pot)
- Beef Cabbage Soup
FAQs
I suppose this soup could be put in a crockpot to serve and keep warm for a party, although it is not necessary. Since the vegetables are the only ingredients that are not already cooked, it wouldn’t save much time.
While I use fresh kale in this soup, you can easily use frozen if you thaw and drain it before adding to the soup.
Not Sure
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Chicken Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Cups Yellow Onion Diced
- 1 Cups Celery About 2 Stalks
- 2 Carrots Peeled & Sliced
- 4 Garlic Cloves Finely Minced
- 1 tsp Thyme Dried
- 1 tsp Oregano Dried
- 6 Cups Chicken Stock Low Sodium
- 2 Cups water
- 30 Oz Cannellini Beans 2 Cans
- 4 Cups Chicken Shredded
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- 3 Cups Kale Stalks removed, town into bite-sized pieces
- 1 Tbsp Parsley Fresh or Dried
Instructions
- In a large soup pot heat 1 tablespoon Olive Oil over medium heat. Add 1 Cups Yellow Onion , 1 Cups Celery, and 2 Carrots and cook until tender, stirring occasionally (about 7-8 minutes).
- Add 4 Garlic Cloves , 1 teaspoon Oregano , & 1 teaspoon Thyme . Cook and stir until fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Pour in 6 Cups Chicken Stock, 2 Cups water, & 30 Oz Cannellini Beans . Bring to boil & reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Add 4 Cups Chicken and 3 Cups Kale & continue simmering until warmed through. Season with 1 teaspoon Salt & ½ teaspoon Black Pepper . Serve warm and garnish with 1 tablespoon Parsley as desired.
Dina says
Served this with a homemade sourdough at our church potluck. Lost track of how many people came back for second helpings.
Cynthia says
Made this for a friend who wasn’t feeling well and she asked for the recipe the next day!
Carly says
Used vegetable broth because I was out of chicken broth. Soup was amazing. Will use chicken broth next time!
Sandy says
Thanks for the rotisserie chicken tip! What a huge time saver.
Alex says
It was cold and dismal all week long. My mood matched the weather until I had a bowl of this heavenly healing elixir. Thanks for sharing!
Ellen says
Tried this with orzo and fresh grated Parmesan- because ya know, cheese. There wasn’t a single drop left in our bowls. A new family favorite!
Kay says
Finished mine off with a squeeze of fresh lemon. So yummy!
Raina says
Such a cozy soup for a cold day. Love!
Phil Hampton says
Could/can collards or mustard/ turnip
Greens be substituted for the kale?
Rachel says
To be entirely honest, I have never eaten collards or mustard greens to know their cooking methods well. Despite growing up in the south, my mother disliked them so we never felt the need even though they were popular at gatherings and families around us. However, I don’t see any reason they couldn’t be substituted, although thicker greens varieties will need additional cooking time.
Maya says
Very quick and very tasty. This is going in my meal prep list.