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.
Get more INSTANT POT recipes
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.
Grab my easy SOUP RECIPES
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!
Grab my easy SOUP RECIPES
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 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 large Onion diced
- 1 clove Garlic minced
- 1 15oz can Chickpeas or 1.5 cups, rinsed and drained
- 1/3 lb Dino Kale about 1 cup chopped
- 4 cups Vegetable Broth
- 1/2 tsp dried Thyme
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp Pepper
Recipe 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.
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
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My family loved it. I used homemade veggie broth and it was great
Glad to hear it! We love this quick and easy soup too 🙂 Thanks so much!
This soup recipe looks really good. About how many cups is 1/3 a pound of Kale? I don't have any means of weighing it. Thank you for your help.
Hi Gayle, it's about 1 cup. Hope you enjoy! Thanks!
The best quick & easy soup ever! My husband loved it too. It is such a delicious recipe. I added diced zucchini. I topped with croutons. Such a delicious soup. I’m sure you can add all different types of veggies. I kept it simple and stuck to the recipe. I actually added more broth to make more liquidity. Love!
Yay, Raquel...so glad you love it as much as we do! You're right about all the veggies too 🤩 Thanks for taking the time to leave this feedback 💚
Fantastic recipe! It was delicious and quick. I added some crushed red pepper because I like spice. I will make this again and again. Thank you!
Awesome, Bridget! So glad you liked this soup. I'm always up for crushed red pepper 🙂 Thanks for the review!
This is a great soup! My husband and I made it last night and used a little more kale, since we love kale, added miracle noodles and smashed half of the chickpeas to make it a little creamier. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Yay, thanks Lil...day made! I'm a kale lover too, so I usually do the same 🙂 I love your additions too!
This soup is so flavorful and delicious. I will be making this again! I had all ingredients on hand except the vegetable broth so I used chicken broth instead. I added a little fresh grated parmesan and croutons after dishing up.
Awesome, Pam! I'm so glad to hear it...and chicken broth is a perfect substitution. Some might prefer it. I also love to add parm and croutons to mine sometimes. We must be related 😉 Thanks for the feedback!!!
I love this recipe! So easy to make and full of nourishing ingredients.
Thanks, Alison! Chickpea soup really IS so easy to make 🙂
I love this recipe I added some Italian sausage for more flavor, and some meat.
That sounds delicious, Christina! So glad you're enjoying it 🙂
This was such a flavorful dish; easily a new family favorite recipe! Looking forward to enjoying this again later this week!
Awesome, Sara! So glad you can enjoy this one 🙂
What a great quick and easy soup to warm up after a long day. This has everything a good soup needs!
Thanks, Kelly! Chickpea soup is one of my favorite ways to end a long day 🙂
I've got lots of chickpeas that I need to eat, now I'm super excited to make this!
Haha, yep! Always lots of chickpeas on hand. Hope you love it! 🙂
I'm all about quick soups, they make such a great meal in colder weather. This looks hearty and tasty.
Thanks, Caroline! Yay for warm weather! 🙂
Hey Traci! Thanks so much for sharing these terrific recipes! And I know this one is going to be fantastic...I'll try it this weekend!
Hey, do you think I can freeze this soup. I want to bring some with me to a remote area where I can't really cook, but I can heat up.in a microwave. Thanks, Traci! Keep being awesome!
Thanks for the kind words, Dina...makes my day 🙂 I have not frozen this soup, but I've done it with similar soups...no problem. I always freeze my soups in 2 cups portions so they thaw/reheat faster. Hope you love this recipe like I do! Have a great weekend!
Gonna try this recipe using spinach instead of kale and chicken broth instead of vegetable broth; since those are the ingredients I have on hand at the moment.
Sounds perfect, Miko! Hope you love it...I think those substitutions will be delicious!
Thanks for a great recipe. I made this today using freshly cooked chickpeas and a load of young kale leaves from my garden. It was so light, fresh-tasting and creamy. 10/10!
You're so welcome, Sarah! Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback...we love hearing it 🙂
What a great recipe and so easy to make! Thank you for this! I am making it tonight and I cannot wait. Trying in the Instant Pot.
Awesome! Hope you love it like we do...and thanks for stopping by! 🙂
When you say "keep the liquid" on the garbanzo beans, do you mean save it to use for other reasons or pour it in the pot?
Hi Deborah...great question! You can add the bean liquid to the soup, but I find it be "cloudy". I just edited the recipe to say 'drain and rinse' the beans. Hope that helps! 🙂
Thank you, Traci! My teenage daughter and 8 year old loved it. Easy to make for this single mama, and healthy and so fab, too!
Yay! So glad to hear it! Thanks for the feedback, friend! 🙂
Glad your kids liked it! Trying on my kids (3 and 6) tonight!
Thanks so much it's wonderful fresh and fast! So easy and yummy!!
Thanks so much for the feedback, Andrea! Day made 😉
Wow! This recipe really is quick and simple! I love chickpeas (I DO eat them straight from the can hahah!) and kale. What a great recipe!
Haha, I do that too, Lauren! Love them soooo much 🙂
With chickpeas seems to be the only way I can enjoy my Kale! Love this in-a-hurry version!
Thanks Tina! I absolutely love the two ingredients together 🙂
Hearty, delicious and I can get this on the table in a hurry??? I'm completely sold, looks delicious!
Thanks Lori! Love hearing that 🙂
Wow! Talk about quick and easy! Your kale chickpea soup looks so delicious and hearty. You'd never know you just threw it together in the time you did!
Thanks Elaine! Yep, it's one of my fav, last-minute meals for sure! 🙂
Chickpea and Kale are among my favorite food combination ever. I often make curry with chickpeas, kale and coconut milk. But I really love your "in a hurry" soup. I will be trying it for sure!
Thanks Edyta! I love your combination too! 🙂
I almost always have these items on hand. What a great quick and easy dinner!
Thanks Hayley! Right there with you on that 🙂
Love this quick and easy to do soup recipe! So healthy and filling!
Thanks Annissa! Love hearing that! 🙂
This will be perfect with the weather cools off. That won't be for a while here in Florida but I'll tuck this away.
Thanks Ellen...hope you get to make it sometime 🙂
I love chickpeas but I don't usually love kale unless it's in soup, so this would be perfect for fall!
Thanks Emily! They are really great together in a soup. Hope you get to try it out! 🙂
this looks like a real hardy soup and I love chickpeas so I am sure this is going to be awesome!
Great to hear it, Claudia! Hope you try it soon 🙂
Oh my gosh. I love that this is quick AND healthy AND vegetarian. On my to do list!
Thanks Urvashee! Hope you love it!
Hi Traci! I'm glad I found your website. I can tell you've put in a lot of effort in making your website appealing. I was Googling for fast soups to make during flu season because a lot of my loved ones have been falling ill and I want to be able to make something warm that can help soothe their symptoms and provide some nourishment. Lo and behold, I found your website and this quick recipe! I actually use chick peas a lot in my meals, but I haven't yet made a soup like this so naturally, I'm very excited to try this out.
Best regards,
Kent
Kent...wow! I'm so honored that you thought to leave me a comment...and happy you found my recipes. Yes, it's a favorite, quick soup that's very flexible. I also use my "Feel Better Pho" recipe for when I'm sick too. Thanks again! Enjoy 🙂
This soup is perfect for the cold evenings we have been having lately!
Thanks Sandi! Couldn't agree more...fav time of year! 🙂
I'm always in a hurry! I definitely need this recipe, looks so good!
Haha thanks, Brandi...me too! 🙂
I just love quick meals like this! Especially when they contain kale and chickpea - my faves!
Thanks Megan...they're my favs too! 🙂
I always have canned beans on hand for just such an occasion! This soup looks healthy and flavorful -- and its just what I should be eating right now.
Thanks Lisa! I should be eating this right now too, actually 🙂
Anything with kale gets a big thumbs up from me. It's freezing here today, so it's totally soup weather.
Thanks Dannii! I'm with you on the kale 🙂