Tuscan Kale & Chickpea Soup

This hearty chickpea soup is filled with Tuscan kale, Italian herbs, and potatoes. It’s the easiest soup to make and every bite is rich in flavor and full of healthy veggies!

ceramic bowl with chickpea soup with kale in it on gray background with napkin and spices arranged around it.

This cozy chickpea soup is the ultimate vegetable soup! It consists of hearty potatoes, accents of diced vegetables, and lots of fresh herbs for flavor. This soup is rich in flavor and is perfect for any season! Spring, summer, fall – it’s an all year kind of recipe. 

I made this recipe after being inspired by a similar soup I purchased at a local organic grocery store. I loved the simple ingredients and fresh flavor! So I made my own version of it.  

What I love about this soup is: it’s vegan and plant-based, is full of nourishing veggies, and you can easily customize the recipe with whatever vegetables that you have on hand. 

Ingredients – What You Need

Below you’ll find all the ingredients you’ll need to make this vegetable soup.

ingredients for chickpea soup arranged on gray background.

Chickpeas: you’ll need cooked chickpeas – you can soak and cook them yourself or save time and use canned or jarred!
Kale: any type of kale works, I like Tuscan because it’s a softer leaf. You can also swap for spinach!
Celery: for flavor and to add some veggies.
Carrots: adds richness to the broth and a pop of color.
Onions & garlic: the base of all soups to create deep flavor!
Potatoes: for heartiness and to make the soup more satisfying.
Diced tomatoes: we love using fire-roasted.
Tomato paste: slightly thickens the broth.
Herbs: use thyme sprigs to infuse flavor while the soup simmers, then oregano and basil to season at the end.
Curry powder: this may seem odd but it’s a secret ingredient that packs SO much flavor into the broth. And don’t worry, the soup won’t actually taste like curry.
Vegetable broth: the base of the soup!
Oil: for sauteeing the vegetables.

Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions

In a large pot, saute onions until soft with oil (about 2-3 minutes).

Then add celery, carrots, and garlic with a pinch of salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes.

Then add the rest of the ingredients to the pot and stir together. Cover and simmer until potatoes are soft (about 20-25 minutes), stirring often.

Stir in kale when the soup is finished cooking and let it soften/cook for about 2 minutes. Then season with salt & pepper to taste along with chopped fresh herbs, and serve!

Tips for Success & FAQs

  • Don’t soak the potatoes – usually, for recipes that use potatoes, you would soak them in water to remove unwanted starches. But those starches are perfect for thickening up the soup! Skip the soaking and add them straight to the pot.
  • Add herbs at the end – whenever using fresh herbs, I like to add them at the very end so the flavor is super fresh!
  • Swap spinach for kale – if you don’t like kale, you can also swap it with spinach instead!
  • Garlic + garlic powder – I know, I know. This recipe calls for both garlic cloves AND powder, but it’s not a mistake. Both of these joined together will pack a punch with flavor! You can omit one over the other, but together they work beautifully.
  • Do I need to peel the carrots and potatoes? Nope! I personally like to keep the skin on for these vegetables. A lot of the nutrients are in the skin, so if the skin is edible I leave it on!

cast iron pot with chickpea soup in it on gray background.

What to Serve it With

We love serving this vegetable soup with our 10-minute naan pizzas or a simple homemade bread like this no-knead cranberry walnut bread! If you’re looking for a healthier option, you can pair it with a veggie-filled salad like our Summer farro salad or this simple Greek cucumber and tomato salad.

More Vegetable Soups to Try

Love soups that are rich in vegetables such as this one? You may also be a fan of these delicious recipes.
Vegetarian Pasta E Fagioli
Tuscan White Bean Soup
Hearty Italian Minestrone Soup

ceramic bowl with chickpea soup with kale in it on gray background with napkin and spices arranged around it.

If you tried this Tuscan Kale & Chickpea Soup recipe or any other recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know what you think. I love hearing from you! You can also follow me on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM, and FACEBOOK for more crave-worthy content.

ceramic bowl with chickpea soup with kale in it on gray background with napkin and spices arranged around it.

Tuscan Kale & Chickpea Soup

5 from 2 votes

This hearty chickpea soup is filled with Tuscan kale, Italian herbs, and potatoes. It's the easiest soup to make and every bite is rich in flavor and full of healthy veggies!

Servings 6
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 45 mins

Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: Italian
Tags: chickpea kale soup, chickpea soup, Italian chickpea soup
Freezer Friendly: Yes
Calories: 224 kcal
Author: Bethany Kramer

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 cup yellow onion, diced
  • 1 celery stalk, diced
  • 2 small to medium carrots, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small golden potato, diced
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 14 oz can garbanzo beans/chickpeas rinsed and drained
  • 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes preferably fire roasted
  • 4-5 cups vegetable broth low sodium
  • 1-2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 3 fresh thyme sprigs
  • pinch of red pepper flakes
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 Tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
  • 2 cups kale, stem removed and chopped
  • Salt & black pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Saute vegetables: First, saute onion for 2-3 minutes in oil. Then add celery, carrots, and garlic with a pinch of salt – saute until soft about 3-4 minutes.

  2. Add soup ingredients: Then add potatoes, diced tomatoes, garbanzo beans, vegetable broth, tomato paste, thyme sprigs, curry powder, red pepper flakes, garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt & black pepper. Stir together, cover, and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. When finished, the soup should be slightly thickened and potatoes should be soft when tested with a fork.

  3. Stir in kale: when the soup is finished, remove thyme sprigs from the pot using tongs. Then stir in chopped kale and let cook with the soup for 1-2 minutes until soft.

  4. Season and add fresh herbs: then add chopped basil, chopped oregano, and season with salt and black pepper to taste until the flavor is just right.

Notes

Don’t soak the potatoes – usually, for recipes that use potatoes, you would soak them in water to remove unwanted starches. But those starches are perfect for thickening up the soup! Skip the soaking and add them straight to the pot.

Add herbs at the end – whenever using fresh herbs, I like to add them at the very end so the flavor is super fresh!

Swap spinach for kale – if you don’t like kale, you can also swap it with spinach instead!

Nutrition Facts
Tuscan Kale & Chickpea Soup
Amount Per Serving (1 cup)
Calories 224 Calories from Fat 25
% Daily Value*
Fat 2.8g4%
Cholesterol 0mg0%
Sodium 491.6mg20%
Carbohydrates 78g26%
Sugar 4.3g5%
Protein 3.8g8%
Vitamin A 18IU0%
Vitamin C 21mg25%
Calcium 432mg43%
Iron 68mg378%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Instagram

Did you make this recipe? Share your photos and tag @asimplepalate #asimplepalate.

avatar

Bethany Kramer

Bethany Kramer is the cook and photographer behind A Simple Palate. She found a deep love for food and nutrition after learning to cook from her mom at eight years old. Since then she’s been developing and sharing recipes from her own kitchen that are bold in flavor and nourishing to the body!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




6 Comments