I dreamed up this soup with picky eaters in mind and I know how picky eaters think because I was one. Well, am one. (Shh, don’t tell anyone. I’ve managed to keep it a secret so long.)
My first cookbook has no soup recipes because I didn’t consider myself a soup person, although this makes it sound like a failing of identity and it was really that I found soup depressingly monotonous: must every spoonful be exactly like the one before? A bowl felt a lifetime long. But my second cookbook (and my third, should I ever get to writing that thing, heh) has a big one because I finally figured out how to make soup that kept me interested: fixings. For me, when a soup is simple, it’s about the finishes. I love a salad bar of options and I love to be able to add more as I eat, so no two spoonfuls are exactly alike. This technique has come in handy with every variety of choosy eaters in my family — a husband who doesn’t like smooth soups, a son who can be convinced to eat most things if they have bacon, and a daughter who eats approximately nothing but is known to demolish bowls of kale chips and will steal the bacon off your plate without asking or expressing any level of remorse after. (She’s a cat. I gave birth to a cat.) (Although temporarily a spider.)
This soup started as a lightened-up baked potato soup, swapping beans for some of the potatoes, but it’s way more interesting than that, if you ask me. It’s perfectly cozy solo, but when you set out a little sour cream, parmesan, pancetta, and crispy kale, it’s… fun? Yes, I just called soup fun. You can make it vegetarian by skipping the pancetta, vegan by skipping the parmesan and cream (I’d use a squeeze of lemon), but more important is that no matter how you make it, you can do so quickly. We’re not soaking beans, we’re not making stock, not here, not this time. This is a 40-minutes-top soup, and it’s absolutely perfect for right now.
Good Morning America: What? Yeah, no big deal at all! I was invited to kick off Ginger Zee’s cooking club, where she’s attempting to get her (really cute) kids and husband out of their pasta-obsessed rut. I came to her house to demonstrate this recipe and also another kid favorite, the Pizza Beans from Smitten Kitchen Every Day and the kids and husband ate it all. (I came home and was like “Step it up, fam.”) You can watch me do just this on the show tomorrow (Wednesday 10/30) morning at 8:45am ET, barring any major news that bumps the segment. [Update: Indeed, some news — the worsening fires in California — bumped the segment. I’ll give you a heads-up when there’s a new air date for it. And please, be safe out there.] When there’s a link to watch it online, I’ll add it here.
Are you following SK on Instagram? Every couple Fridays (ideally, every other, but sometimes life gets in the way) I’m doing Live Story demos of a recipe from the archives. Last week, apple cider caramels, the best Halloween candy that is not storebought peanut butter cups. A week from Friday (11/8)? Not sure what I’m cooking yet, but it will be something warm and cozy.
Previously
Six months ago: Braised Ginger Meatballs in Coconut Broth
One year ago: Sunken Black Forest Cake
Two years ago: Bakery-Style Butter Cookies
Three years ago: Broken Pasta with Pork Ragu
Four years ago: Baked Potatoes with Wild Mushroom Ragu and Twinkie Bundt
Five years ago: Homemade Harissa and Cauliflower Cheese
Six years ago: Potato and Broccolini Frittata
Seven years ago: Butternut Squash Salad with Farro and Pepitas and Roasted Pear and Chocolate Chunk Scones
Eight years ago: Pear, Cranberry, and Gingersnap Crumble
Nine years ago: Cauliflower and Parmesan Cake and Spiced Applesauce Cake
Ten years ago: Cauliflower with Almonds, Raisins and Capers and Silky, Decadent Old-School Chocolate Mousse
Eleven years ago: Meatballs and Spaghetti and Cranberry-Walnut Chicken Salad and Pink Lady Cake
Twelve years ago: Pumpkin Bread Pudding and Sweet Potato and Sausage Soup
Thirteen years ago: Pumpkin Muffins and Easiest Baked Macaroni-and-Cheese
White Bean Soup with Crispy Kale
- 4 ounces diced pancetta
- Olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch cubes (no need to peel)
- 5 ounces curly kale leaves (from a salad-ready container)
- 1 15-ounce can of cannellini or a smaller white bean, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup finely grated parmesan
- Sour cream, to serve
In a large, heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil and pancetta over medium heat; cook, stirring, until pancetta is crisp all over. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Pour off all but two tablespoons fat from pan and leave the heat on. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add broth, potatoes, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and many grinds of black pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, until potatoes are tender (you can check by trying to smash one against the side of the pot with a spoon), about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile: Toss kale leaves with 1 tablespoon olive oil, rubbing it into the leaves. Spread them on your largest baking sheet, season with salt, and bake until the leaves are crisp, anywhere from 12 to 17 minutes. (It ranges due to whether there’s water clinging to them still and how much the pieces curl up.) You might want to move pieces around halfway to ensure they bake evenly. Set aside.
Once potatoes are tender, add beans and simmer for 3 minutes more. Blend soup until totally smooth. It will be thick. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed, adding more salt and pepper. Stir in half your cheese until melted and combined.
To serve, ladle into bowls. Dollop with sour cream, some kale chips torn into smaller chunks, pancetta, and remaining cheese if needed to please the masses.
Looks delicious…I happen to love soup! But the idea of soup with extras is very nice. The only other one I know of is a tortilla type soup, so this is a nice switch. Thanks!
Long time follower, first time commenting. I LOVE SOUP!!!! All kinds, all year round! You had me at Yukon potatoes and white beans. This will be on my menu next week. Thank you!
Ellie
We are soup obsessed in the cooler weather! Thanks for yummy one to try next!
I was just wondering if you were a former picky eater! I am a reformed one myself and am the mother of one as well. I always make the excuse that we are super tasters. I think that’s why your recipes are always so spot on, you must have a super sensitive palate!
This looks really yummy, and you food presentation skills are top notch. Your site would get foodies like myself hooked. Thanks for sharing
How well do you think this would freeze?
Thats the first Spider I like:-)
I can’t believe the hair!!
As for the soup, I’ll try it on my 4 fussy eaters and hope for the best…
This looks and sounds amazing as snow is dumping in CO. For a veg*n alternative to pancetta, tossing some chickpeas in oil, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, etc… and baking them until crispy would be an excellent substitute to add the smokey crispiness. Yum!
I was hoping someone might have a veg alternative to suggest. Sounds delicious. Thanks!
For another vegetarian alternative, you could cube some paneer and toss it with some olive oil/salt/black pepper/optional-turmeric, toast it in a skillet until golden brown on all sides.
I like the way you think, Molly!
I’m not a vegan but I’m curious why you spelled it with the asterisk? My husband has celiac disease and I often Ctrl+F the comments for “gluten” to see how people have adapted recipes. It seems that using “veg*n” instead of vegan would prevent fellow vegans from doing a similar comment search.
veg*an = umbrella term covering vegetarian and/or vegan.
argh. still got it wrong. veg*n = vegetarian/vegan.
I made this and it was pretty good. The beans in the soup slurry make for a somewhat grainy texture, which was unfortunate. I started from dried beans so maybe they weren’t cooked enough.. hmm. Overall a pretty nice flavor.
Do you think I could make this in an Instant Pot? Ideas for cooking time? This sounds perfect for a week that promises snow!
I wrote to Rancho Gordo and they gave me a list of IP cooking times for different types of beans, based on soaking or non-soaking. I believe it came from the IP Facebook Group (I don’t subscribe to FB.) My take away is IP or any pressure cooking of beans is a very lean broth. Hope that helps.
I make a similar soup but mine is more vegetarian.
Funny that you don’t consider yourself a soup person, when the first SK recipe that I elected to make was your hot and sour soup! It’s so good.
Please please say crisp, not crispy!
Soup recipes are most welcome. How about a broccoli one that gets its flavor from something other than a lot of cheese at the end?
For what it’s worth, I’ve had success with this one: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017010-seared-broccoli-and-potato-soup The cheese is a garnish and easily omitted.
Just an FYI the link to the Nytimes.com above broccoli soup recipe won’t let m e view the actual recipe unless I subscribe. Grrrrr. Irritating! Don’t mind subscribing, I just don’t want to be forced to do so.
On a more positive note love your blog and have both your cookbooks. Your recipes rock at my house…even with picky eaters
I was intrigued by the description and found another link for it: https://food52.com/recipes/38899-melissa-clark-s-seared-broccoli-and-potato-soup
Content costs money to produce and you should be paying for it!
In the ingredient list, the salt and pepper should follow the potatoes.
Question: I can’t stand kale, any substitute?
I use escarole — it has a wonderful flavor
If you’ve never had it as crisp chips, give it a try. Really. Do it. it’s a totally different experience to any other kale you’ve eaten, and completely delicious.
One thing I’ve found is it has to be eaten the minute it comes out of the oven or it absorbs enough moisture from the air to lose its crispiness. Not nearly as nice.
Am I doing something wrong? Or is there a trick to helping it stay crisp for longer?
oyster crackers? croutons? tortilla strips? toasted pepitas?
the kale is just something crunchy to contrast with the smooth soup
This was so delicious! I made it without pancetta for the vegetarian option and was not disappointed. I would not have thought to add crispy kale to soup- great idea!
Any hearty green would probably work. I usually go for turnip greens, but I think chard would work, too. Spinach would be too delicate and mustard or collard greens might be a bit too intense.
This recipe sounds awesome and I love that it’s so versatile. Woo Hooo!! Congrats on your GMA segment! I’m so happy I read your entry in time to watch tomorrow :o)
I have always been a fan of soup. Lovely post.
I am so excited to make this! Trying to use up the kale STILL in my garden! I love soup for a weeknight dinner so I made a kale & bean soup but it was kinda boring. Then I had a kale vichyssoise at a restaurant that I tried to recreate but mine was too green & kale-y. This soup might be the perfect medium between the two??? More after this weekend when I can harvest more kale… Thank you!!!!
Ps. It was those apple cider caramels that got me hooked on SK all those years ago! I make them for my daughter’s Thanksgiving-time birthday every year! Good luck tomorrow on Good Morning America!!!!
Can you use dinosaur kale in place of curly?
Yes, I just find that the yield when you crisp it is even smaller.
Leave out the dairy before freezing (just add it back after reheating, before serving), and you should be golden!
I have the opposite of a fussy eater — my 9-year-old will happily eat almost anything I make, all the vegetables, tofu… but he generally dislikes beans/legumes and he hates mashed potatoes. Guess I’ll be making this one just for me!
Ha! We are opposite: I love a soup, almost any soup unless it’s over blended and the texture of phlegm, and despise the fussiness of toppings (I mostly omit them or add them all at once).
Your daughter’s hair is enviable. I say that as a curly haired person who has, her entire life, had her hair commented upon by strangers and knows that it’s nice but also a little weird, especially for small girls. So, bringing the weird I guess?
Pancetta? In “fly over country” we have the choices of ham or bacon. I would love for chefs to come to a small country store, and shop for a meal.
It is -22 outside, soup sounds pretty good.
I shop in a small country store, and they carry diced pancetta in packages of 4 or 5 ounces… look around the place where you might find salami or sausages. Otherwise you can use thick cut bacon and Cut it into chunks.
I also make a white bean soup with crumbled cooked Italian sausage.
Also a nice addition.
To prepare for making this soup on rainy Halloween tomorrow I bought a can of cannellini (or a cannellini of can, or a cannellini can) and a 4-ounce package of diced pancetta at the supermarket today. The brand is Boar’s Head. If you can find a store that carries that brand, and they don’t have this product, maybe they would order it for you (?).
https://boarshead.com/products/detail/119910216-diced-uncured-pancetta
For those who don’t like/don’t have greens to add: I make another bean soup to which I add cooked carrots in large but bite-size chunks after pureeing the rest. I like the added color and texture.
When did cannellini beans get so large? With the last 3 letters “ini” I expect small white beans. However that is not what I am finding in the cans of cannellini beans at my local grocery store. Have you eperienced this problem? Do I have unrealistic expectations of a cannellini bean?
AFAIK, cannellini beans have always been larger than small white beans. They’re sometimes referred to as white kidney beans.
You’ve made the mistake of assuming the “ini” means small(er beans). In this case, Merriam Webster says, “Italian cannellini, plural of cannellino kind of hard candy, variety of white bean resembling the candy”
Thanks Lisa!
You can seek out navy beans if you prefer a smaller white bean! I guess it doesn’t make a difference here where they’re pureed anyways, but I often use them myself.
I also get bored eating soup for exactly the reasons you so eloquently articulated. I call it “soup fatigue”. This looks like a perfect way to avoid it.
The soup was delicious but I found the crispy kale chips got mushy/chewy in the soup. Better off crunching them on the side than using them as a garnish.
I made your white bean pot pies this week and they were incredible! I’ve never used pancetta before—the flavor was amazing. Thank you.
Your daughter’s curls are gorgeous. I want her hair!
I made this last night, and it was delicious! I made two changes: I omitted the cheese and sour cream. I roasted some cauliflower at the same time as the kale chips, and added it to the soup before blending just to have some more vegetables.
I never noticed there was no soup in your first book!! But yeah, don’t tell my mom, but the way she made soup when I was growing up made me think I didn’t like soup. As an adult, I had to figure out how I like soup. I very rarely like it just by itself – either garnishes or bread beside it. I almost cannot eat soup without bread, unless it is an Asian soup of some kind.
I think potato soups can be rather heavy, so I’m definitely going to try your recipe here. (Also, slightly related: making your Halloumi Roast for supper because there’s still local eggplant in the market!!)
Thoughts on making this with bacon instead? And spinach? (mostly because that’s what I have, it sounds delicious)
Absolutely. Spinach (especially if baby spinach) does crisp in the oven, it takes a lot less time, and it more fragile. But it can be done.
You are probably aware, but Avgolemono is a soup that Twitter loves. I have never made it but it seems delicious/something that might peak your interest! Apparently there are a lot of Greek grandmothers that make it on Youtube.
I have my eye on a recipe that looks wonderful — maybe for Dec or January.
Just made this tonight. I had most of the ingredients on hand. Very good, we loved it! Don’t leave out the kale chips! They are so good,
Just made this tonight. I had most of the ingredients on hand, (I used bacon though). Very good, we loved it! Don’t leave out the kale chips! They are so good,
your girl’s hair is so gorgeous it makes me want to cry. Off topic, I know.
Thank you so much for the “spider” picture! I thought you had given up posting pics of your fam. Which, of course, I would understand, and miss. A lot.
Also for the recipe! And the stories. Oh, your stories….
I do t have a hand held blender . Any advice? I do have a vitamin. Never used it for hot food though…
Wow my typing is bad
I DONT have a hand held but DO have a vitamix
I used my vitamix (as I also don’t have a handheld mixer) worked perfectly!
This one’s a keeper! I had most of the ingredients on hand (and normally would have the kale but it’s buried under a foot of snow- Colorado looks more like Christmas than Halloween this year) Yummy! I didn’t change a thing and it was DE-LICIOUS! Thank you.
Looks yummy! But I have a diabetic who can have some beans, but no potatoes. What could be used as a substitute?
How about cauliflower? If you want to boost the flavor you could roast the cauliflower (for pureed soups I chop up a whole head, leaves and all) before making the soup.
Delicious! I made this without the pancetta and subbed homemade cheesey breadcrumbs (courtesy of Alison Roman) for some salty crunch.
Breadcrumbs: toast breadcrumbs in 1-2 tbsp of EVOO, season with salt and pepper, when breadcrumbs are toasted sprinkle with pecorino or parmesan… crumbs will form granola like clusters
Made this today. FABULOUS! Love it. And it was so delicious without the grated cheese that I left the cheese out. But… I made the kale chips and then forgot totally to serve them with the soup! OOPS! Well, there’s plenty soup left, so I’ll get another chance or two to remember the kale chips.
I only have russet potatoes on hand. Will they work? I’m afraid they might cause texture issues…..
I made this with Russets last night and it was fine! They are my pantry staple…
SO GOOD! I love everything about this soup! Made it tonight, came out perfect.
Update to my post of the other day: Had it again (second time). Still excellent. This time I remembered the kale chips, but, alas, they were soggy. I topped the soup with crispy bread crumbs instead. The soup is now extremely thick, so I will thin it a bit with some veggie broth. Will definitely make this again and again.
I’ve made a vegan version of this twice now, and it was delicious both times. Once, I followed another commenter’s suggestion and roasted chickpeas with smoked paprika to use in lieu of pancetta. Both times, I added more spices than the recipe called for to compensate for the lack of meat / dairy. When I added the salt and pepper, I also added 1/2 teaspoon of Trader Joe’s mushroom umami spice blend, onion powder, and garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of ginger and smoked paprika. I also used Japanese sweet potatoes instead of Yukon golds since that’s what I had at home. Don’t skip the crispy kale (or arugula, or whatever) — it adds such a nice crunch and flavor.
I made soup last night based on this recipe and it was a crowd pleaser. The pancetta in my area looked horrible so I went with Applegate Organic Sunday Bacon and instead of kale chips, I roasted some broccoli (with the leaves as well) so it was both crunchy and filling. I forgot to add the parmesan (mostly because I don’t love cheese when it’s incorporated into something warm) but the fam still devoured it! Also I wanted to avoid adding the dairy at the end so I splashed in a little unseasoned rice wine vinegar just before serving to brighten the flavors and it worked very nicely. Yum!
I put this on my weekly menu because I was getting most of the ingredients in my farm-share box, but when it came time to make it a few days later, I’d kind of lost my interest in it. But, happily, it ended being both easy and delicious. I used russet potatoes since that’s what I had, and since I didn’t want the soup to be too starchy, I didn’t completely puree it. I enjoyed the chunks of potatoes and beans that were left. I really liked the kale on top – it was a great textural contrast.
This was perfect for a chilly Denver dinner last night! I decided I wanted to make it with dried beans and used the bean broth for the soup – I skipped the pancetta but the flavor was divine! The dried beans took eons to cook, however, and we eventually caved and decided to just dump a can of beans in, rather than wait for the dried beans to finish. Definitely a keeper, thanks Deb!
Hi — do you have suggested substitutions if you’re not using pancetta? Thinking turkey bacon or crispy mushrooms? something like that?
Any of the above or even crispy shallots.
I used sauteed cubed smoked tofu with a bit of smoked paprika and it great!
Omg this was so good! And incredibly satisfying. I find I am often hungry a couple hours after having soup for a meal, but not in this case. I made this with smoked tofu instead of pancetta, threw in the onions from your tomato/butter sauce, and used extra old cheddar instead of parmesan, and it was so good I think even my kid would enjoy it even though he hates both beans and mashed potatoes!
Love this soup. Made this less then a week ago but because I gave most of it to my son to take back to school with him , i made it again tonight. Do you think I can freeze some of it? Otherwise, i will literally eating it for breakfast , lunch and dinner the next two days. Not all bad, but nice to save a bit,too.
Thanks!
I’d expect it to freeze well.
To Mr. J in NJ: It was a broccoli soup by Gordon Ramsey a few years back that was very unusual. It involved toasted pecans and a small amount of goat cheese, but the flavor came mostly from broccoli itself. The rest was mostly “fixins”, as in Debs soup. To make it, you had to dump hot steamed broccoli as well as its liquid in a blender to puree, but a handheld blender might possibly work. The neat thing about it was how beautifully green it was.
Has anyone tried this with a bit of rosemary in the broth? Seems like it would go.
In fact, you can. It’s a long story but I’d originally had this recipe in BA column before we went with something else and the test kitchen liked it with a sprig of rosemary sautéed with the pancetta. I found the rosemary needles didn’t blend, stayed wiry, but the flavor was nice. You could probably remove it before blending it, but some needles will stay behind.
My soup saga. Right off the bat I will say that this soup is magnificent, great depth of flavor, texture and « creamy-ness » all wrapped together in every spoonful. For whatever reason, probably some childhood food drama, I have ignored white beans. They just didn’t ever seem worthy of my time. But I decided to put aside my prejudice and give it a try. I live in a tiny medieval village in southwest France so it is never a question of just stopping by the nearest Whole Foods to shop. We have a pretty good farmer’s market once a week so things like onions, potatoes, garlic etc. are easy. But kale! I’ve read it is showing up in Paris and other large cities. So imagine my shock when I found a bunch buried under some parsley at our last marché! This was a sign…make Deb’s recipe! Of course the kale was not in a salad ready bag. I needed to wash it carefully (found a few green critters hidden in the curls), then cut off the thick stems and tear into pieces before massaging them with olive oil. Next, chicken broth. So in France there is no canned chicken broth, just condensed cubes which need to be mixed with water and heated to mix. On to the beans. I only found dried white beans which needed to be soaked for 8 hours and then cooked. Also no pancetta so I substituted something akin to bacon. Lastly the sour cream, also not available in France so I googled for a substitute. Two days later we finally got to taste this rich creamy bit o heaven. Was it worth all the time, substitutions and quantity conversions? Absolutely! Thank you Deb for making me a white bean convert.
We had our first major snowfall here yesterday. I made this soup. Simple, hearty and delicious. It was the perfect meal for a cold snowy night. Thanks Deb.
Well, one kid just ate the kale.
One kid just ate the plain yogurt that I put out to sub in for sour cream.
One husband said “gross, parmesan,” and then ate something else.
And I’ve got enough leftovers to last me all week! (Kale-kid is clearly my favorite this evening)
I’d make it again, but maybe when they’re not home.
Oh man, this made me laugh with its familiarity. I just go ahead and tell myself I served them a “deconstructed” dinner ala DALS.
PS: The kale-kid in my family is my favourite too.
This recipe is a keeper. The flavor is so simple and delicious. The Kale Chips and Pancetta (actually I used bacon because that is what I had) gave it great texture. I will be making this again and again all winter. THANK YOU.
This recipe is good but the name is a total misnomer. It’s a bacon and potato soup.
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Absolutely delicious. I used a can of great northern beans. Even my picky child ate this. I skipped the sour cream and Parmesan by accident and didn’t miss them. The only thing I would change next time is to add a bit more stock – maybe a small can in addition to the boxed quart; my sound was very thick. Will definitely make again!
I’ve just tried this recipe and it is very delicious.
It was the first time I made soup with potatoes and beans together. This combo seemed to be so interesting that I decided to give it a try. Also, the parmesan gives it a kick.
I am glad I found this blog, coming up with recipes is the hardest for me. I keep making the same meals and it kills me. :) I am in for more soup recipes because you know… winter is coming… :)
Gosh this looks delicious! I’ve been meaning to try a white bean soup for ages but then default to my usual recipes. I’ve saved this one now to try next week – mister 4 is particularly excited to make it with me!
This recipe sounds amazing. As I live plant based, I would ditch the bacon and parmesan, but the combination of kale and beans sounds great.
Thanks for sharing.
Christina
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Craving this so much! But what’s a good vegan alternative to the pancetta, liquid smoke? Thanks!
Just made this. Delicious! Super creamy and the salty crunchy toppings are perfect.
This question is really basic, but how many cups of potatoes do you get from 1 1/2 pounds? I never know how many pounds I have in the pantry!
I haven’t checked — it’s always going to be a little different. Sorry!
THIS. White bean soup –ABSOLUTELY delicious!
O.K., so your site is the ONE I go-TO. My many thanks for your hard work! :)
Keep on keeping it on… <3
This is delicious – even my husband (soup is not a meal) loved it and did not go back to the kitchen for something else! I agree that the kale chips are better on the side to crunch on and the cheese was not even needed. Yummo!
Deb, so many wonderful recipes but why don’t you indicate a size range on the pots used?! It would be so so helpful to us less experienced cooks. Instead I have to guess from the photos what size pot or baking dish is used. What’s medium to one person might be large to another. It would be so much better to read say a capacity of 3-4 quarts, 3-5 quarts, 4-6 quarts or whatever , and a 10” or 13” skillet etc.
The white pot shown here is 5 quarts; I think the soup will fit just fine in a 4-quart as well.
Alternatives to pancetta, pleasssse? Looks so yum!
This is a great tasting, easy soup. If you’re making this for yourself, short on time or otherwise don’t care about presentation, I would skip the kale chip topping. It was easy to do, but didn’t add much except for a bit of color and texture.
A wonderful recipe for families! My kids and husband all loved it and asked for seconds. A dish that everyone likes is rare in our house! We skipped the pancetta and had some diced bits of cooked turkey bacon as a topping (what we had in the fridge) for the meat eaters in our house. Per the recipe I seasoned to taste with salt and pepper, but I could see that some additional herbs might make this extra delicious! I’m intrigued with the idea to adding some tofu or making with sweet potatoes.
I was going to make you parmesan broth with kale and beans but just saw this and wondered if this would be a good place to sub in the parm broth instead of veggie broth? making to share with a vegetarian friend and thought that might bump up with flavor since I am taking out the pancetta. I have trouble finding a veggie stock that is not too sweet. Thoughts?
I agree that vegetable stocks are a mixed bag (I like Better Than Bouillon vegetable base, but it’s very salty so you might not need any additional). I think parmesan broth will be good here, and most places! So is cooking your own white beans with onion and garlic and bay leaf and/or herbs and using that cooking water as your broth here.
Love this soup! Skipped the pancetta and just fried up some mushrooms on the side to toss in with the kale.
Delightful. I used a 1/2 pack of bacon and a can of butter beans (lima?) because I couldn’t find cannellini beans or pancetta at the store. Also thought I had parmesan in the fridge (I didn’t) so we just sprinkled in some grated cheddar to serve with the kale and bacon bits (my 2 year old calls it tiny bacon). Finally, we didn’t have sour cream and still found the soup delicious and creamy.
This was a really good COVID-19 quarantine dinner! We subbed bacon for the pancetta and it turned out great. Deb, thank you so much for putting together your pantry friendly recipes on instagram. We’ve been cooking them all week and everything has been delicious, which has helped so much.
Deb – I only have dried white beans and can’t get the canned ones right now. How can I sub these?
I’d cook a pound of them and measure out 3.5 cups.
This has become a staple in our house– we love it!!
Our personal preferences….
– We never use the pancetta, and don’t miss it at all!
– Highly, highly recommend swirling in some hot chili sauce from TJ’s in the soup at the end!
– Don’t miss out on the kale chips!
Any idea what would happen if I subbed a rutabaga for some of the potato? Or is the starchy potato important? Got 1/2 lb of small potatoes and a two huge rutabagas in my farm share. Usually I’d just wing it, but these days the wasted food and effort from a recipe flop make me so sad.
Ok so I forged ahead w the rutabaga and it was delicious! And since I’m #coronacooking I had to make a bunch of other subs. Extra sharp crumbly cheddar for the Parmesan, linguica for the pancetta. So good.
But the biggest surprise was that I told my (newly) picky 3yo that the kale chips were “green chips” and she was obsessed. Stealing them off the tray. This is a child who has not done more than lick a green vegetable since quarantine started 5 weeks ago. And she ate the soup, too. So thank you!
I didn’t have pancetta so I omitted and found the resulting flavor a bit bland. Next time I’d saute the onions with some smoked paprika for a little more flavor base. I did add rosemary as it was simmering. The extras helped, and then I found some leftover bacon in the fridge, but I’m not sure I’d make this again. Ina Garten has a white bean and rosemary soup that seems to have more flavor. I’m hoping the leftovers have developed a bit more oomph.
I’ve made this soup several times as written (minus the bacon) and a couple times with substitutes based on what I had on hand (once I used garbanzos instead of white beans, another time I used sweet potatoes instead of yukons) and it’s delicious every time! Absolutely fool proof.
Wow, i was actually looking to integrate the Kale chips with something, i got my response and its awesome. Thanks alot.
This was good. I really love the potato-bean mix. For the topping, sautéed ribbons of kale with garlic and a little lemon. Didn’t bother with cheese or pancetta but used sun-dried tomatoes, which I pureed with the potato/bean mixture, and fresh rosemary and thyme. If I’d thought of it, I would have diced some preserved lemon with the kale.
This is a fabo recipe! It’s only the first day in September, and we craved soup already. Didn’t use the pancetta. But still so delicious.
I love the way you write and cook! Thank you for your great sense of humor as well.
This pandemic has me searching for all that is good in this world right now. And you are one of the good things that make life better.
Take care. I’ll keep cooking your recipes. Delish!
This is excellent even without the pancetta. I also had seconds with a dash of Cholula added and I highly suggest that if you’re looking for some spice.
Would it be an option to add kale (non-crispy) to the soup late in the cooking process (after blending, perhaps)? Or would the soup be too thick for add-ins?
This soup is DELISH!!! Currently 8 months pregnant and having bad indigestion before bed. Trying not to eat all the things that trigger it and this soup seemed like a safe bet. It’s sooooo good!!!
My husband , 11 year old and I love this Armenian Apricot Red Lentil soup: https://www.washingtonpost.com/recipes/apricot-and-red-lentil-soup/15620/
Where do I find the nutritional info.
Yum!!!! Thanks for sharing another one of your delicious recipes. I’m definitely trying this one out. Your blog is the best place any foodie can be.
Just made this and it was exactly what I hoped it would be. For me there’s nothing cozier than a pot on the stove full of delicious soup. Pair that with the reliability of Smitten Kitchen recipes and I couldn’t be happier. Thank you! Looking forward to a winter of soups from you!! :)
This looks really delicious, I happen to be a fan of soups.Great job dear,Thanks!!
Deb, this soup was so delicious! It is one that I will be making again many times. The only change I made was using bacon instead of pancetta. I doubled the recipe so will look forward to leftovers and that makes me very happy!
Lovely soup especially with the topping – all good healthy ingredients. Loved it!!
I tried the recipe last night. It tastes very very delicious and I can only recommend it to everyone!
I’ve made this several times (omitting the pancetta because I’m vegetarian). I add a handful of cutting celery during the sauté stage. It is delicious! (Regular size celery would probably also be great.)
Finally made this tonight, it was amazing! I made my kale chips in the air fryer, like I usually do. I also added another 6-7 oz of beans, for the extra beany-ness. The sour cream adds the perfect amount of tang. It’s (another) keeper! My wife had 2.5 bowls!
Made this today, it was SO good! Really should be called potato soup. Added all the cheese into the soup directly and skipped kale and pancetta. Delicious.
I currently live in a not massive city in Mexico, so have to be flexible with ingredients sometime, plus have to cook dairy free due to an allergy in our family. I tried this recipe for the first time yesterday and it was enjoyed fully by our household.
I used bacon instead of pancetta. Then didn’t fully blend because fully blended soups are not enjoyed by some family members. Plus, I don’t have ready access to kale, so just wilted in chopped spinach with the semi-blended soup. Served it all with the bacon and crisped chickpeas inspired by the “carrot soup with tahini and crisped chickpeas” recipe from this site. We skipped all dairy and still found it very flavorful and hearty.