15-minute Chickpea Kale Soup with fresh kale, cooked chickpeas, a few pantry items, and homemade croutons. Weeknight dinners just got easier and healthier with this easy vegan kale soup recipe made for Instant Pot or stove.
This kale soup recipe was MADE for busy people! Whether you're a stove ninja or Instant Pot beginner, you can get a comforting soup on the table with very little planning. Also, kale and chickpeas are super nutritious and complement each other in texture and flavor. They're really easy to prepare, especially if you use canned beans, just like my crazy popular Kale and White Bean Soup.
Chickpea kale soup ingredients
- olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- chickpeas (canned or cooked from scratch)
- kale (any kind)
- vegetable broth
- dried thyme
- salt and pepper
- croutons (optional)
Chickpea kale soup [stove instructions]
* See full recipe instructions below
- Saute onions and garlic in olive oil.
- Add all other ingredients, bring just to a boil, then simmer 15 minutes.
- Serve warm.
Instant Pot chickpea kale soup
* See full recipe instructions below
- Sauté onions and garlic in olive oil in the instant pot.
- Add remaining ingredients and pressure cook on high pressure for 1 minute.
- Allow a 10-minute natural pressure release.
- Serve warm.
This chickpea soup is naturally gluten-free and vegan, but of course, sometimes I ruin that with croutons and Parmesan cheese
What's the best kale for chickpea kale soup?
I used Dino kale in this soup, but any kale will work! In fact, curly kale will naturally add more volume, which will look prettier. Dino kale tends to be more expensive than curly kale, so it all comes down to personal preference.
Canned chickpeas vs scratch-cooked chickpeas
Canned chickpeas are fully cooked and ready to eat upon reheat. This is what makes this soup so quick and easy to make since you don't have to cook the beans.
If you want to use scratch-cooked chickpeas in this soup, check out my Instant Pot Chickpeas method or my oven-baked method of cooking chickpeas. Both methods allow you to skip the canned beans, save money, and eat a superior ingredient.
What's the best broth for vegetarian soup?
I've been in love with this reduced-sodium vegetable base for years. It's easy and compact to store, and tastes great! [this is not sponsored btw]. If you don't have a soup base, this packaged vegetable broth works great too!
Recommended Tools
- chef knife
- cutting board
- Instant Pot or 4-quart saucepot
- stirring utensil
More kale recipes
- Instant Pot Kale and White Bean Soup
- Sesame Kale Noodles
- Crispy Kale Chips Recipe
- Lemony Kale Chickpea Avocado Salad
More chickpea recipes
Chickpea Kale Soup Recipe [Instant Pot or Stove]
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- ½ medium Onion, diced (about 1 cup)
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1 (15 ounce can) Chickpeas, rinsed and drained (1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas)
- 1 cup Kale, chopped (about ⅓ pound)
- 4 cups Vegetable Broth
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Pepper
Instructions
Chickpea Kale Soup (Stove Instructions)
- Heat OLIVE OIL in a 3-quart soup pot over medium-high heat.
- Add ONIONS and GARLIC; sauté until slightly tender, stirring as needed.
- Stir in CHICKPEAS, KALE, VEGETABLE BROTH, THYME, SALT, and PEPPER. Increase heat to HIGH and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.
Chickpea Kale Soup (Instant Pot Instructions)
- Select "Sauté" on the Instant Pot and heat the OLIVE OIL.
- When the display reads "Hot", add ONION and GARLIC; sauté a few minutes until tender, stirring as needed.
- Press the "Cancel" button on the cooker.
- Add cooked CHICKPEAS, KALE, VEGETABLE BROTH, THYME, SALT, and PEPPER.
- Secure the lid and turn the pressure release valve to the "Sealing" position.
- Select "Manual" or "Pressure Cook" and set the cooker on "High" pressure for 1 minute.
- When cook cycle completes, allow the Instant Pot to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes for a natural pressure release (NPR).
Serving and Storage Instructions
- Serve kale soup warm. Garnish options: lemon zest, fresh parsley, croutons, or grated Parmesan cheese.
- Refrigerate kale soup in an airtight container up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months.
Traci's Recipe Notes
Check out these scratch-cooked chickpea methods:
Instant Pot Chickpeas (no-soak and ready in 1 hour) Oven-cooked beans (no-soak and ready in 2 hours) Use either method to cook chickpeas in bulk and freeze for later use!NUTRITION
Nutrition data provided as courtesy estimates using unbranded ingredients from a nutrition database. Please consult preferred resource for precise data.
Mary says
Loved it quick, easy and yummy . Added cooked rice and more Kale.
The Kitchen Girl says
Awesome! I'm so glad you enjoyed. Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Megan says
I liked it! Blended it, my own preference. I only had 1 cup chickpeas so it was thinner soup. Added garlic butter croutons.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed. I haven't blended it before but would definitely want more chickpeas than said amount to make it a little thicker. Thanks for taking the time to review 🙂
Donna says
Hi, Tracy! I used your recipe as my point of departure and had a little fun with it. I swapped out the vegetable stock for chicken stock, added diced golden potatoes, and took inspiration from another reviewer and zipped some of the potates and chickpeas in the food processor to add more body to the soup. I increased the amount of kale and added it just before serving to keep its gorgeous green color. Finally, I added a dash of bacon salt just before serving and then served this delicious soup alongside my sourdough flatbread. My family loved it! Thanks so much for the inspiration!
The Kitchen Girl says
I'm so glad to inspire your family's dinner enjoyment. Thanks for all the great ideas for this chickpea kale soup:) And thanks for the review!