Okay, confessions first: I love kale. But even my Dear Husband and Sweet Boy, who would never be true cheerleaders for a soup with kale, eat it up happily. And now that Americans seem to be gobbling down bitter salad greens like arugula and frisee, I hope I can talk you into looking past kale’s reputation for bitterness. Simmered in chicken stock with a meaty ham hock, aromatics, and creamy white beans, this soup is winter comfort food that’s darn good for you—the kale is really just along for the ride, and any bitterness is diffused in the stock. 
I used lacinato blue, or dinosaur, kale for this soup, but you could use any kale—curly green or red Russian kale. Look for kale that is immaculately fresh and has no yellow spots, and use it within a couple of days; it gets bitter as it ages. If you really can’t stomach the idea of kale, substitute spinach. I’ve written two versions of this recipe, one that is a long-simmer soup with dried beans and a ham hock, and one that can be thrown together on a busy night in under 30 minutes with tinned beans and thick slices of ham. Both are a delicious way to eat your vegetables.
Kale Soup Tips
If you’ve never prepared kale before, it’s very simple. The leaves have a rather tough stem or rib, which can be removed by slicing on either side. Slice out all of the stems and discard them, and then slice the kale into ribbons. Easy peasy.
Kale nutrition facts here.
Slow Lacinato Blue Kale Soup with Creamy White Beans and Ham
Yield: about eight servings
Ingredients:
2 c. dried white beans, such as great northern or cannellini
8 c. chicken stock (homemade recipe here or Swanson’s organic)
1 meaty ham hock
1 bay leaf
1 medium onion, diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 large bunch of kale, stems trimmed out and cut into ribbons
pepper and perhaps a bit of salt
Method:
- Place the beans into a large pan and cover them with four cups of water. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil for one minute. Then let the beans sit for one hour.
- Drain the beans and transfer them to a large soup pot. Add the chicken stock, the ham hock, the bay leaf, and a few grinds of pepper, and bring the soup to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer gently until the beans are soft, about one hour.
- Add the onion, carrots, and celery and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Remove the ham hock, and tear the meat into bite-sized shards with a knife and fork. Add the ham back to the soup pot.
- Add the kale and simmer just until it has wilted.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Lightning Quick Kale Soup with Creamy White Beans and Ham
Yield: about eight servings
Ingredients:
a little olive oil for the pan
1 medium onion, diced
3 medium carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1 bay leaf
2 tins of white beans, such as great northern or cannellini
2- ½ “ thick slices of good ham, cubed
8 c. chicken stock (homemade recipe here or Swanson’s organic)
1 large bunch kale, stems trimmed out and cut into ribbons
pepper and perhaps a little salt
Method:
- Warm a soup pot over low heat. Drizzle a bit of olive oil into the pan. When it is warm, add the onions and sauté until soft.
- Add the carrots and celery and sauté for a few minutes.
- Add the bay leaf, beans, ham, chicken stock, and a few grinds of pepper, and raise the heat. Bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the soup for a few minutes, checking that the vegetables are tender.
- Add the kale and simmer just until it is wilted.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
wow lovely blog ! very well presented
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Thank you!
What would be the recommended time with fresh cranberry/borlotti beans?
Oh, I’m so jealous you have fresh borlotti beans. I believe they take about 30 to 40 minutes to cook, so you can shorten the bean cooking time in the slow-cooking recipe (step 2) or increase the cooking time of the soup in the lightning-fast version (step 3) before you add the kale. Hope this makes sense!
I live in a Caribbean neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York and they have them fresh here year round. It took me several years to realize what they were as they call them red beans and they are still in the pod. It takes a while to shell them but its worth it.
I should also mention though, that finding the ham hock will prove difficult for me as Caribbeans prefer beef, ox, and goat. I wonder how this would taste with oxtail. I think I’m on to something here…Thanks for answering so quickly!
That sounds pretty amazing. Thank you for transporting me to your corner of the world. Let me know how it turns out!