This easy kale soup recipe is smooth, creamy and ready in about 25 minutes. Made with curly kale, potato, garlic and a splash of milk, it is a simple way to turn a big pile of greens into a comforting bowl of soup. Not sure what to do with kale? Give this a try!
If you are looking for a new soup to try, especially if you aren't usually sure what to do with kale, start here. The potato gives this blended kale soup a naturally creamy texture, while onion, celery and garlic add plenty of flavour.
It is also such an easy soup recipe: a little chopping, one saucepan and no long simmering time. Even people who aren't usually excited about kale tend to be much happier with it when it is blended into a creamy soup like this. If I pile it with cheese, I can even get my kids to eat it with minimal moaning.
Recipe update: This recipe was originally published on 29 September 2021 and was fully retested in September 2026 to check the cooking time and ingredient quantities. The original recipe still worked well, but I've expanded the instructions, tips and FAQs.
Looking for more ways to get some kale in your diet? Why not try our easy kale pesto pasta, delicious kale smoothie, quick air fryer kale, simple kale crisps (such a delicious salty snack) or our kale, watermelon and feta salad?
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Jump to:
- Why You Will Love This Kale Soup
- What Readers Say
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Variations
- How To Prepare Kale for Soup
- How to Make Kale Soup
- What Does Kale Soup Taste Like?
- How Long to Cook Kale in Soup
- What To Serve with Kale Soup
- Storage
- Dannii's Top Tips
- Troubleshooting Guide
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Soup Recipes
- Recipe
- Feedback
Why You Will Love This Kale Soup
- Quick and easy: It takes around 25 minutes from start to finish.
- A great way to eat kale: Blending the kale with potato gives it a much softer, creamier texture than you might expect.
- Simple ingredients: There is nothing complicated here and most of the ingredients are everyday fridge or cupboard staples.
- Smooth and creamy: Potato thickens the soup, with a little milk added at the end for extra creaminess.
- Easy to adapt: Make it dairy-free, add different toppings or adjust the thickness to suit you.
- Good for batch cooking: Double the recipe and freeze the extra portions for another day. This recipe makes two generous portions. If I am making it for everyone, I use the serving-size adjustment in the recipe card and make a larger batch.
What Readers Say
"This was such a creamy and hearty soup! Just perfect! Comes together quickly too!"
★★★★★
Ashley F.
"Really love this nutritious soup! The creaminess from the potatoes is perfect. Used plant based milk to keep it dairy free and it was delicious!"
★★★★★
Gina
Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Oil - We used olive oil to cook everything in.
- Onion and celery -These make up the flavour base of the soup. If time is tight, frozen chopped onion is a useful shortcut.
- Potato - Potato gives the soup body and creates that thick, creamy texture once everything is blended. Any white potato will work. A flourier potato will produce an especially creamy soup, but there is no need to buy a special variety just for this recipe.
- Garlic - Two cloves give the soup plenty of flavour without overpowering the kale. Fresh garlic is ideal, but frozen crushed garlic is useful when you need to get dinner started quickly.
- Kale - I use curly green kale, which is easy to find and works really well in a blended soup. You need 200g, so this recipe is a useful way to get through a good amount of kale in one meal.
Whole kale leaves or ready-chopped kale will both work. If your chopped kale contains very thick pieces of stalk, remove those before cooking as they can stay fibrous. - Vegetable stock - Use a stock that you already like the flavour of, because it makes up a large part of the soup. Vegetable stock keeps the recipe vegetarian. Chicken stock can also be used if that suits you and will give the soup a slightly richer flavour. If you are cooking for young children, use a lower-salt stock and season individual portions afterwards if needed.
- Milk - A splash of whole milk at the end makes the soup creamier. You can leave it out, as the potato already gives the soup plenty of body, or use an unsweetened dairy-free milk. Almond or oat milk work well. Coconut milk is another option, although it will give the finished soup a noticeable coconut flavour.
- Salt and Pepper
Variations
Make it vegan - Replace the whole milk with an unsweetened dairy-free milk or simply leave it out. Make sure your vegetable stock is vegan too.
Add spinach - Replace up to half of the kale with spinach for a slightly milder green soup.
Use sweet potato - White potato gives the most neutral flavour and colour, but sweet potato also works if you want something a little sweeter. Just expect the colour of the soup to change.
Add Parmesan - A little finely grated Parmesan stirred through individual bowls adds extra savoury flavour and richness.
Add some heat - A pinch of chilli flakes or a little freshly ground chilli makes a nice contrast with the creamy soup.
Add a savoury topping - Crispy chopped bacon is a good option if you do not need the soup to be vegetarian.
How To Prepare Kale for Soup
If you are wondering how to prepare kale for soup, it is very simple.
Wash whole kale leaves thoroughly, then pull or cut the leaves away from any very thick central stalks. Roughly chop the leaves before adding them to the pan.
With bags of ready-chopped curly kale, most of the work has already been done. I still have a quick look through and remove any unusually thick, woody pieces of stalk.
You do not need to massage kale before adding it to soup. That is useful for raw kale salads, but cooking softens the leaves for you.
How to Make Kale Soup
- Soften the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the diced potato, onion, celery and garlic and sauté for about 4 minutes.
You are looking for the onion and celery to begin to soften rather than brown.
- Add the kale and stock: Add the kale and vegetable stock to the pan.
- Simmer: Bring everything to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the potato and kale are tender.
- Blend the soup: Use a stick blender to blend the soup directly in the saucepan until smooth.
I find a stick blender easiest because there is no need to transfer hot soup between containers.
⚠️ If you are using a jug blender instead, allow the soup to cool a little first and blend carefully in batches rather than filling the jug with very hot liquid.
- Make it creamy: Stir in the milk and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
If the soup has become thicker than you like, add an extra splash of stock or milk.
- Serve: Then ladle it into bowls and add your favourite toppings.
What Does Kale Soup Taste Like?
Kale has an earthy flavour and can sometimes taste slightly bitter on its own, but this soup is much milder than a plate of plain cooked kale.
The onion gives a little sweetness, potato softens the flavour and the milk rounds everything out. Once blended, you get a savoury, creamy green soup rather than an intensely "kale" tasting bowl.
That is one of the reasons I think this is a good kale recipe for people who are still deciding whether they like it.
How Long to Cook Kale in Soup
For this blended kale soup, cook the kale for 15 minutes, until completely tender. This gives it enough time to soften before everything is blended smooth.
For a chunky soup where you want the kale leaves to keep some texture, chopped kale can usually be added towards the end of cooking and simmered until tender.
For this blended kale soup, I cook the kale with the potato and stock for around 15 minutes. This gives the kale enough time to become completely tender before everything is blended smooth.
Very thick kale stalks take longer to soften than the leaves, which is why I prefer to remove them from this quick recipe.
What To Serve with Kale Soup
Crusty bread is my first choice with this soup because it turns a bowl into an easy and filling lunch.
Croutons are also brilliant because the crunchy texture works so well against the smooth soup. You can make quick homemade croutons or use my air fryer croutons.
Garlic bread is another favourite in our house, particularly when I want the meal to feel a little more substantial. Try my cheesy garlic bread.
You could also serve it with:
- Garlic and rosemary focaccia
- Easy white bread
- Greek yogurt bagels
- A cheese toastie
- A little grated Parmesan
- Toasted pine nuts or pumpkin seeds
- A drizzle of olive oil
If I am serving this to the kids, something crunchy to dip into the soup and a pile of cheese on top usually makes the bowl much more interesting.
Storage
Fridge: Store leftover kale soup in an airtight container in the fridge and eat it within 2 days.
Freezer: This soup freezes well. Allow it to cool, portion it into freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze. I like using freezer bags and laying them flat because they take up much less room once frozen. It will keep for 2-3 months.
Defrost thoroughly before reheating.
Reheat: You can reheat this on low in a pan or in the microwave until hot all the way through.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Don't worry if every batch is a slightly different shade of green. The exact colour depends on the variety, quantity and freshness of your kale.
- Cut your potato into fairly small, even pieces so it cooks within the short simmering time.
- For an extra-smooth soup, give it another minute with the stick blender after you think it is done.
- If the soup is too thick after blending, add stock a little at a time.
- If it is thinner than you would like, simmer it gently uncovered for a few extra minutes before adding the milk.
- Taste after blending and before adding lots of seasoning. The saltiness of different stocks can vary considerably.
- For a particularly nice-looking bowl, finish it with a small drizzle of olive oil, toasted seeds or pine nuts and a few tiny kale leaves.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Soup is too thick | The potato naturally thickens the soup, especially as it cools. | Stir in a little extra vegetable stock or milk, a splash at a time, until it reaches the consistency you like. |
| Soup is too thin | There may be a little too much liquid, or it may need longer to reduce. | Simmer uncovered for a few extra minutes, then blend again. The potato will help thicken the soup. |
| Soup tastes bitter | Mature kale or thick stalks can have a stronger, more bitter flavour. | Remove any thick stalks before cooking and make sure the soup is well seasoned. A little extra milk or grated Parmesan can help mellow the flavour. |
| Soup is stringy rather than smooth | Thick kale stalks may have been left in, or the kale and potato may not be completely tender. | Simmer for a few minutes longer until everything is very soft, then blend thoroughly until smooth. |
| Soup isn't bright green | The colour varies depending on the variety and freshness of the kale, and the potato and milk naturally lighten it. | Use fresh, deeply coloured kale and avoid cooking it for longer than needed. Don't worry if the finished soup is a different shade of green - it will still taste great. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Kale is excellent in soup because cooking softens the leaves and mellows their flavour. You can leave it in pieces in chunky soups or blend it, as I do in this recipe, for a smooth and creamy texture.
Yes. Kale holds up well to cooking and works in both chunky and blended soups. Curly kale is particularly easy to find in the UK and is what I use for this recipe.
Absolutely. Curly kale is the variety I use here. Remove very thick stalks, roughly chop the leaves and add them straight to the pan.
For a chunky soup, kale can usually be added towards the end so the leaves keep more texture. In this blended kale soup, it goes into the pan with the stock and simmers for 15 minutes because we want it completely tender before blending.
Yes. This is a useful soup to make ahead. Let it cool before transferring it to a covered container in the fridge, then reheat until piping hot when you are ready to serve it.
More Soup Recipes
If you've tried this kale soup recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy and use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Easy Kale Soup
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon of Olive oil
- 1 Onion - diced
- 1 rib of Celery - diced
- 350 g (12 oz) of Potato - diced
- 2 Garlic cloves - crushed
- 200 g (7 oz) of Kale
- 750 ml (3 cups) of Vegetable stock (low salt) - use gluten-free stock if needed
- 125 ml (½ cup) of Whole milk
- ¼ teaspoon of Fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper
Instructions
- Soften the vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon of Olive oil in a large saucepan. Add 350 g of Potato, 1 Onion 1 rib of Celery (all diced) and 2 Garlic cloves (crushed) and sauté for about 4 minutes.
- Add the kale and stock: Add 200 g of Kale and 750 ml of Vegetable stock (low salt) to the pan.
- Simmer: Bring everything to a gentle simmer and cook for 15 minutes, or until the potato and kale are tender.
- Blend the soup: Use a stick blender to blend the soup directly in the saucepan until smooth.
- Make it creamy: Stir in 125 ml of Whole milk and season with ¼ teaspoon of Fine sea salt and ½ teaspoon of Ground black pepper (or to taste).
- Serve: Then ladle it into bowls and add your favourite toppings.
Recipe Notes
- Use curly kale or another kale variety, removing very thick stalks before cooking.
- A low-salt stock is a good option when cooking for younger children.
- For a dairy-free version, use an unsweetened dairy-free milk or leave the milk out.
- If using a jug blender instead of a stick blender, allow the soup to cool slightly first and blend carefully in batches.
- The soup will thicken as it cools, so add a splash of stock when reheating if necessary.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze once completely cool.
Nutritional Information
Where nutritional information is provided, it is approximate and calculated using online tools. Values can vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, but we endeavour to be as accurate as possible.
All timings are a guide and may vary depending on the ingredients, equipment and, where relevant, the appliance used. Changing the serving size may also affect the time needed.
Pauline says
Can I pop everything together and make in my soup maker?
Thanks
Dannii Martin says
I haven't tried it myself, but i don't see why not.