Kale and Leek Soup

This Kale Soup recipe is delicious year round and you’ll want to make over and over again! It’s low in calories and packed full of nutrition. It makes the perfect lunch any day of the year.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredients You'll Need
• How to Cut Leeks
• Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions
• Kale Soup Variations
• Expert Tips and FAQs
• More Kale Recipes
• Kale and Leek Soup Recipe

Don't be turned off by the green color of this soup. This bad boy is so amazingly tasty that my 12 year old asks for this kale soup on the regular!

I know, right?

Soups are great to eat all year long because they leave you feeling satisfied, they're full of nutrition, and super versatile. And this kale soup recipe is no different.

Ingredients You'll Need

You'll only need 6 ingredients for this recipe.

Kale is the world's healthiest food. It's a green, leafy vegetable that is full of fiber. Packed full of both flavor and nutrition, kale is the star of the show. Leek is added to this soup recipe provide an onion like taste, only milder. I use olive oil to saute the kale and leeks.

Chicken broth brings out the underlying chicken soup base flavors. The salt and pepper provides extra flavor.

How to Cut Leeks

When cutting leeks for this easy kale soup, you'll cut off the bottom of the white bulb and discard. From there, take a sharp knife and slice the leek into ¼ inch slices.

For this leek soup recipe, continue cutting the leek until you get to the darker green part of the vegetable. The dark green part of the leek is rough and hard to eat. But if you hate waste and are looking for a way to use up the dark green stems of the leek, you can use them in this Instant Pot Bone Broth recipe.

Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

In a large skillet, saute the leeks in 1 Tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat. Saute until the leeks become soft, about 3-4 minutes.

Add the kale to skillet with the leeks and saute until wilted, about another 3-4 minutes.

Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Once done, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside to cool for 15-20 minutes.

Expert Tip: Letting the soup cool is a must for this recipe. When you go to puree the soup in the next step, if there is too much soup in the food processor it can spill over. I've burned my hands in the past by being impatient, so make sure the soup cools before pureeing.

Once cooled, pour the kale soup mixture into a food processor or blender.

Now you're ready to puree the soup in either a food processor or blender. Turn your machine of choice on and slowly increase the puree. Blend until smooth.

Pour mixture back into a large pot and heat on the stove for 10-15 minutes, or just until it begins to simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper to taste.

And now you've got yourself a deliciously healthy and hearty puree soup! I like to top a big bowl with fresh grated Parmesan cheese. Oh, and dipping in a piece of this Quick Peppery Cheese Bread makes it even more of a comfort food.

There is so much flavor in this pureed vegetable soup recipe, but adding the fresh Parmesan puts the flavor over the top!

Kale Soup Variations

The thing I love most about soup recipes is the ability to switch things up and make them more versatile. Here's some of my favorite variations.

• Vegetarian Kale Soup - if you want to turn this into a vegan and vegetarian soup, skip the chicken broth and use a vegetable broth for the base.
• Chicken Kale Soup - need a protein kick? Add in some rotisserie chicken. Chicken kale and leek soup is amazing with any type of chicken, but rotisserie chicken is so easy and convenient.
• Sausage Kale and Leek Soup - adding either cooked ground sausage or Italian sausage really packs in the flavor and adds a kick.
• Potato Kale and Leek Soup - adding potatoes makes this soup recipe more hearty. I like using red potatoes. It also helps thicken up the broth.
• Kale, Leek and White Bean Soup -  if you're looking for more of a vegetarian based protein substitute, just added some cooked white beans. White beans are also high in fiber.
• Kale Carrot Leek Soup -  cooked carrots add a bit if sweetness to the flavor of this soup.

No matter what variation you make to this kale and leek soup recipe, it's going to taste amazingly delish because the base ingredients are so phenomenal!

Expert Tips and FAQs

• When chopping the kale, cut it into large bite-size pieces. You need 2 bunches of kale for this recipe or a total of 4-5 cups of chopped kale.
• To add even more flavor to this recipe, add 2-3 minced garlic cloves and ½ of a small chopped shallots.
• You want a leek that is delicate texture. These will be the most flavorful. I like to pick out leeks that have a 2-3 inch white and slender bottom with tightly rolled darker green tops. I have the best luck with organic leeks.
• Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
• If you want to add protein without adding any meat, add a can of white beans to the skillet right before you puree. This will thicken the soup and it adds some amazing flavor.

More Kale Recipes

If you're looking for more recipes that contain kale, you'll love these favorites! These Sweet Potato Kale Patties are amazing! The sweetness from the sweet potato compliments the earthy flavors from the kale and quinoa. My Greek Kale and Quinoa Salad is addictively delicious, super healthy, and quick to make!

My Apple and Berry Chopped Kale Salad with Citrus Basil Vinaigrette has a combination of fresh strawberries, blueberries and Granny Smith apples mixed with fresh chopped kale, broccoli florets, cilantro and mint taste amazing and is so refreshing! And this Naval Orange and Kale Salad is super light and so refreshing!

Lastly, this Poor Man's Soup is both meat and vegetable based and made from very basic ingredients you already have on hand. 

Update Notes: This post was originally published in October 2015, but was re-published with updated step-by-step instructions, pictures, and tips in March 2021.