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Tuscan White Bean and Kale Soup

Cannellini beans and kale in a garlicky tomato broth with small pasta. A regular recommendation on r/EatCheapAndHealthy and Budget Bytes.

Total Cost $8.07
Per Serving $2.02
Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Servings 4
  • vegan
  • beans
  • soup
  • kale
  • high-fiber
  • low-cost

Ingredients

  • 2 cans (540 mL each) white kidney beans or cannellini beans, drained $3.00
  • 1 can (796 mL) diced tomatoes $2.00
  • 100 g kale or baby spinach, roughly chopped $1.00
  • 100 g small pasta (ditalini, elbows, or small shells) $0.22
  • 1 medium onion, diced $1.23
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced $0.32
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary $0.05
  • 1 tsp dried thyme $0.05
  • 0.5 tsp chili flakes $0.03
  • 2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil $0.13
  • 750 mL water $0.00
  • to taste salt and black pepper $0.04
  • Recipe total$8.07

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat.
  2. Add onion. Cook 5–6 minutes until softened.
  3. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme, and chili flakes. Cook 1 minute.
  4. Add the diced tomatoes and their liquid. Stir and cook 3 minutes.
  5. Add the white beans and 750 mL water. Bring to a boil.
  6. Add the pasta. Cook uncovered for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender.
  7. Stir in the kale or spinach. Cook 2–3 minutes until wilted.
  8. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. The broth will be thick — add more water if you want a thinner soup.
  9. Serve with bread if available.

Nutrition per Serving

Estimated values per serving.

418 Calories
22g Protein
71g Carbs
7g Fat
15g Fiber
390mg Sodium
~25% DV Iron~15% DV Calcium~40% DV Vitamin C

Gluten-Free

This recipe can be made gluten-free with substitutions.

  • Replace small pasta with certified GF small pasta, or omit pasta and add an extra can of beans (omitting pasta reduces cost by about $0.22)

Beans, tomatoes, and vegetables are all naturally gluten-free.

Budget Notes

  • Smashing a quarter of the beans against the side of the pot before adding them creates a creamier broth.
  • Kale holds up better than spinach if you plan to reheat leftovers — spinach turns slimy.
  • A parmesan rind dropped into the broth while simmering adds depth for essentially no cost. Save rinds in a bag in the freezer.
  • This is intentionally thick. It thickens further as the pasta absorbs liquid overnight — add a splash of water when reheating.