Butternut Squash and Kale Soup with Fresh Herbs and White Beans is a new soup recipe that I’ve been loving lately.
As far as I’m concerned, the New Year starts now. The last of my Christmas decorations were finally tucked away yesterday. My kiddo is back in school today, and my healthy eating and yearly fitness challenge begins today too. It’s time to get serious about getting serious and feed the body some nice and clean things to kick off another year of good health, prosperity and happiness. I don’t know about you, but when I’m feeling fit and trim and good-about-myself in general… I’m a whole lot nicer to be around. Feed me stuff like this, and I’m good to go!
Soup is kind of one of those wonderful secrets to losing weight. You can make a giant pot of it, load it with vegetables and flavor, eat bunches of it, and you’re pleasantly (not plumply) stuffed. It’s cool like that.
How to make Butternut Squash and Kale Soup with Fresh Herbs and White Beans:
This soup is so super simple to make. Just heat a little olive oil in a soup pot, add the veggies and cook them until slightly tender.
Then add broth (vegetable or chicken) plus water, and bring to a boil.
Add chunks of butternut squash and let it simmer in the boiling water until slightly soft. Make it even easier on yourself and buy a frozen bag of butternut squash chunks!
Definitely add some greenery to your soup. I’m in love with KALE, so I added that. Don’t be afraid of it- it’s really great in soup. You could also add Swiss chard if you’re a fan of that.
Fresh herbs lend some flavor to the soup. I opted for fresh rosemary and fresh thyme.
White beans are added in last. If you didn’t really want beans in your soup, then just leave them out. You could also add in chunks of ham or chicken here!
And there’s your beautiful, healthy, vibrant and filling Butternut Squash and Kale Soup. Enjoy it with a little shredded Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top (or not), and a glass of chilled white wine too (or not). It’s totally your call. My secret to staying full during the day when I’m starving and scouring the pantry for Hershey’s bars to dip in peanut butter is to have a big pot of soup like this in my fridge. It’s so easy to heat a cup of it in the microwave, and it’s seriously filling enough to deter you from any major binging on the bad stuff lurking in your pantry. Consider it an easy lunch recipe. You’re welcome.
And HEY… if you’re embarking on a 2013 Healthy Journey of sorts, please bond with me in the comments below and share your story. As per usual with a New Year, I’m on a journey too. That’s not to say I’m not going to be baking cookies any time soon… I’m just not going to eat them. (Wait… did I really just swear off cookies?! Ugh.)
Here are a few more soup recipes you might enjoy:
- Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup
- Italian Wedding Soup
- Creamy Broccoli Soup
- Pot Likker Soup
- Beef and Barley Soup
- Fisherman’s Soup Recipe
- Cauliflower Leek Soup
- Tomato, Chickpea and Vegetable Soup with Basil
Butternut Squash and Kale Soup with Fresh Herbs and White Beans
Recipe Details
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 medium onion, chopped
- 3/4 cup peeled and chopped carrot (about 2 large)
- 3/4 cup chopped celery (about 3 large stalks)
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 6 cups fat free chicken or vegetable broth
- 2 cups water
- 4 cups 1-inch chopped butternut squash
- 2 cups torn/chopped kale leaves
- 2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme
- One 15.5-ounce can white beans, rinsed and drained
- kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- grated Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot, then add the onion, carrot, celery, scallions and garlic salt. Cook and stir 5 to 6 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften.
- Add the broth, water and butternut squash. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the kale and herbs and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Stir in the beans and heat through. Remove the fresh herb sprigs and discard. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve. Sprinkle individual servings with Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Notes
- If you are preparing this recipe as gluten-free, just be sure to use brands of broth and beans that are known to be GF.
Lori,
Have you ever used fresh white beans instead of the canned ones? I’m going to try to make it that way. Hope it comes out OK. Just hate to have the sodium from canned goods. But the recipe sounds great!
Not yet!
Very good recipe, I had left over roasted butternut squash and kale. I was looking for a recipe to use them and found yours. I added mushrooms, a jar of home canned tomatoes and brown rice. My husband gave it a 10. It was the perfect fall Sunday dinner. I served it with a butternut/kale frittata. (That’s why I had leftover squash and kale). Will be making this recipe again.
SO happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
Just made this soup and it is delicious! I happened to have kale and butternut and I was wanting some soup so I googled kale soups and found your recipe, thanks! Love the fact too that you have the point value since I am a lifetime weight watcher.
Im also in ‘Healthy 2013’ mode and homemade soups are my go-to meals.I am going to try this with red kidney beans, diced tomatoes, and ground turkey balls seasoned with herbs. I love butternut squash and kale in my soups so I always have them in the fridge. Thanks for his great recipe!
that sounds wonderful too!
We love veggie bean soup — so easy to make and you are right — so good for our bodies. That’s a lovely bowl of yumminess there!
LOVE this recipe, Lori! Just made this tonight; it was AMAZING. The rosemary was incredible and added a touch of sweetness.
Thanks so much! Happy New Year; hope all is well with you.
xoox
yahoo! Glad you enjoyed, my friend!
Wonderful soup Lori. I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. It was flavorful and hearty.
Oh this is just my kind of soup! So healthy, hearty and comforting.
I made this last night. WOW. It was so good! As in amazing! I will be making this over and over again. And, I almost never make a recipe twice! Thanks, this is a winner!
Yup, I’m also undoing some of the holiday damage these days. 🙂 But when healthy food is this tasty, it’s not really that big a sacrifice!
This sounds absolutely amazing! I love kale and butternut squash together.
I have a full bundle of kale in the fridge right now and I’m so torn between this huge pot of soup and kale chips. Basically this means I should make both. Sounds like a sound decision to me! YUM!
Yum – what a warming and filling dish, without being too heavy!
This looks delicious and all sorts of healthy! I always get super motivated to start eating healthier around New Years, too. After binging on so much junk food around the holidays, I don’t want it anymore!
I am with you about the new year starting yesterday. it always starts the day after my husband’s birthday in our house. This looks great by the way 🙂
That soup sounds perfect for this time of year! I think I would add a Parmesan cheese rind in while the soup cooks for added flavour.
This is going to get put in our meal calendar very soon!
Great idea!
This is such a lovely soup. I love it with the butternut squash and kale. Perfect for a cold winter day like we have here in New York!
Yum! We are on the same wavelength (I’ve got a kale recipe going up tomorrow), and the whole “no cookies” thing would drive me over the edge 🙂 I just eat dark chocolate and convince myself it’s healthy… or healthier.
No cookies!! Uh oh!! I’m with you, nothing really beats a big bowl of healthy soup! I’ve been trying to be good, by munching on roasted vegetables! I love the soup! Butternut Squash is my favorite winter time veggie!
I still can’t believe you swore off all sugar! But I give you major props for it.
This soup sounds fabulous. Definitely my kind of winter meal!
I prefer savor butternut squash dishes much more than sweet. I can’t wait to try this! Maybe it will help me recover from all the chocolate chip cookie dough brownies I ate over Christmas.
Just made a white bean soup last night…love!
This looks so good! I love hearty soups like this!!
This is so mind kind of healthy eating – wine included 😉
Wine and big bowl of soup?! I’m so there.
Beautiful soup for a new year and I feel the very same way about my year starting now too.
My kiddo is back in school today for the first time in SIX weeks…between a holiday trip, xmas vacation, a flood at her school, finally, back in biz!
Looks delish Lori!
Looking forward to following your journey of clean eating over the next 8 weeks! Best of luck!
Hugs from Bainbridge Island!
xo
Soup is on the menu this week and this tops the list!
What a beauty!!
What a healthy and delicious looking soup, Lori! My husband and I would love it! Thanks so much for mentioning my Pot Likker Soup, too! xoxo
My kids started back to school this morning too…it’s so quite here!
love the soup Lori!
I’ve never thought to put butternut squash in my soup – to be honest, I avoid the stuff because it’s so hard to prepare. But now that I know they sell it chopped and frozen? I’m totally in!
This sounds really tasty and is so jam-packed with good stuff that I bet it doesn’t feel like you’re missing out on anything!