• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cooking On The Weekends
  • About
    • Press
    • Contact
  • Recipe Index
  • "How To"
  • Work with Me
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
    • Contact
  • Recipe Index
  • Collaborate
  • Subscribe
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
    • Contact
  • Recipe Index
  • Collaborate
  • Subscribe
×
Home » Main Courses » Soups & Stews » Creamy Kale Soup with Potatoes

Creamy Kale Soup with Potatoes

Sep 17, 2024 · by Valentina · 16 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links.

Jump to Recipe

Creamy Kale Soup with Potatoes is a tried and true recipe that's rich and creamy, nutrient-packed, and super satisfying. Warming and comforting, you'll be making it over and over during the fall and winter months.

White and red floral bowl with light blue rim, filled with Kale Soup with Potatoes.

I've been making this creamy kale soup recipe for years, and every time I serve it, my family asks why it isn't bright green?

Both of my sons and husband devour it and say it's a bit mysterious because of its ambiguous color. It's fun when flavors are not only delicious, but also unexpected, so it's a win for me.

The mustard-like color is a result of the amazingly tasty combination of kale, potatoes, roasted red pepper and sun-dried tomatoes..

There's no cream in this Creamy Kale Soup. It's creamy thanks to the potatoes and the cooking process, which is also used for my Vegan Creamy Mushroom Soup and Carrot and Potato Soup.

Easy to make, with it's velvety texture and cozy vibe, it's ideal for lunch or dinner during the cooler months. And since it's vegan and gluten-free, it's great for a crowd, with all sorts of diets.

The Key Ingredients

Half a red pepper, garlic cloves, sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper and a potato, all on a bed of dark green kale.
  • red onion - While you can use yellow onion, I use red because it's sweeter, which is perfect with this particular combination of ingredients.
  • garlic - The garlic adds a subtle sharp bite that goes well with the touch of cayenne, to give the overall flavor a kick.
  • kale - You can use any variety you like. For this soup, I use Lacinato Kale or Curly Kale. Make sure to buy bunches that are a deep green color with perky leaves.
  • russet potato - The potato is key to making kale soup rich and creamy. Yukon Gold potatoes also work well.
  • roasted red pepper - Fire roasted red pepper adds an unmatched sweet and smoky flavor that puts the soup over the top. You can use jarred roasted peppers if you want to save time. You should be able to find them in any market.
  • marinated sun-dried tomatoes - The sun-dried tomatoes bring an earthy sweetness to the soup. Even though we drain them before adding them to the soup, the oil they marinate in is part of their deliciousness. You can use those that aren't marinated if you hydrate them in very hot water for at least 15 minutes.
  • cayenne pepper - This gives the soup a fabulous spicy kick. Combined with the other ingredients, the level of heat is not too powerful. Start with the amount listed, and adjust heat at the end if you'd like.
  • red wine vinegar - The vinegar brightens the overall flavor. You can substitute it with sherry vinegar or an even mix of red wine and white wine vinegar.
  • vegetable stock - Vegetable stocks will vary in richness, color and flavor. Since this soup is filled with ingredients that already make it rich and deeply flavored, if your stock is rich (usually indicated by a darker color), use half water. Feel free to use chicken stock, if keeping it vegan isn't important for you. Either way, low-sodium or sodium-free is best.

How to Make Creamy Kale Soup

- First, roast and peel the red pepper. Place the pepper directly on top of a high flame on the stove. Use kitchen tongs to turn the pepper as it chars.

Large red bell pepper directly on a flame on the stove.
Charred red pepper ont he stove over a flame with metal tongs.

- Then put it in a brown bag, fold over the top and let it steam for 10 minutes. When it's cool enough to touch, use your hands to peel off the skin.

1 charred red bell pepper on a cutting board.
1 large peeled roasted red pepper on a wood cutting board.

Recipe Tip: You can also steam the roasted pepper in a bowl with plastic wrap covering it tightly.

Here is a step-by-step detailed post on How to Fire Roast Peppers.

- Coat a large soup pot with olive oil, add the onion and garlic and over medium-low heat, cook until the onion is soft and beginning to brown.

Roughly chopped red onion and garlic at the bottom of a large soup pot.
Cooked roughly chopped red onion and garlic at the bottom of a large soup pot.

- Add the potato, half of the drained sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red pepper, paprika, cayenne, and the kale. Mix everything together.

Raw curly kale, red pepper and potato in a large soup pot.
Mixed raw curly kale, red pepper and potato in a large soup pot.

- Cook until the kale has wilted. This should take about 10 minutes.

Cooked curly kale, red pepper and potato in a large soup pot.
Kale, roasted pepper and onion with vegetable stock in a soup pot.

- Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 30 minutes.

- Pour the soup into a powerful blender, half at a time (if you add everything at once it'll overflow when you blend). Blend on high until it's smooth. Recipe Tip: This recipe is much better blended this way than with an immersion blender because kale is fibrous.

Kale, potato, roasted pepper and stock in a blender.
Pureed kale soup in a blender.

Pro Tip: Hold down the blender lid firmly when puréeing soups. If you don't, the hot liquid, vibration and steam might force the lid off. It's good to use a folded towel to protect your hands from the possibility of hot liquid seeping out of the lid during blending.

- Once the is soup blended, return it to the stock pot. Then do the second batch and pour it into the pot as well. Add the vinegar and sugar and season generously to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)

Recipe Tip: If the soup is thicker than you like, you can add a bit more vegetable stock.

- Drizzle a bit of the oil from the sun-dried tomato marinade over the soup -- or individual servings -- and top with a few of the remaining sun-dried tomato pieces and chili flakes (if desired).

(More detailed instructions are in the recipe card below.)

Variations

  • You don't have to purée the soup if you'd prefer. It's a totally different vibe, though also delicious. The chunks of soft potatoes, tender kale and smoky red peppers is lovely with the broth, too.
  • It can also be blended only partially, so you have a mix of creamy and chunky.
  • For non vegetarians and non vegans. For either of the above two variations, you can add sausage for a super hearty meal. sweet Italian chicken sausage is delicious with kale. Crumbled crispy bacon is also a superb garnish!
  • For non vegans. Grated Gruyère or Parmesan cheese melting on top is always a hit, whether you blend the soup or not.
  • For non gluten-free eaters. Add croutons on top when you serve the soup. Croutons with Lemon and Garlic are especially good with it.

What to Serve With it

My favorite things to serve with the soup are Rustic Asiago Bread, Gluten-Free Cauliflower Bread, Oven Roasted Fries, or Grilled Little Gem Salad.

Top view of kale soup with sun-dried tomatoes on top, in a white and red floral bowl with light blue rim.

Making it Ahead, Storage and Reheating

  • This kale soup can be made and stored in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days. It should be completely cooled before it's refrigerated. When you're ready to serve, heat it in a soup pot on the stove.
  • This soup also freezes well. When it's completely cooled to room temperature, pour the soup into an airtight container. It's a good idea to do this in portions, in case you don't to have it all at once. It can be frozen up to one month. To defrost, put the soup in the refrigerator 2 days before you want to reheat it.

More Comforting Soup Recipes

  • Cream-colored ceramic bowl with crimped edges, filled with Tuscan white bean soup with fresh basil on top.
    Tuscan White Bean Soup or Stew
  • Creamy Parsnip Soup with Baby Parsnip French Fries in a purple bowl on a wood with a green floral cloth.
    Creamy Parsnip Soup Recipe
  • Cream of Jalapeno Cauliflower soup in rust-colored bowl with slices of jalapeno on top
    Cream of Jalapeño Soup (Vegan)
  • Bright orange Red Kuri Squash pureed soup, in a blue bowl with a small oregano leaf on top.
    Red Kuri Squash Soup

I hope you love every last spoonful!

White and red floral bowl with light blue rim, filled with Kale Soup with Potatoes.

Creamy Kale and Potato Soup Recipe

Valentina K. Wein
Creamy Kale Soup with Potatoes is a tried and true recipe that's rich and creamy, nutrient-packed, and super satisfying. Warming and comforting, you'll be making it over and over during the fall and winter months.
5 from 5 votes
Print
Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 1 hour hr
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6
Calories 191 kcal

Equipment

  • blender
  • soup pot
  • soup ladle

Ingredients
 
 

  • olive oil for the pan
  • 1 cup red onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1½ cups Russet potatoes, peeled, roughly chopped
  • ½ cup marinated, drained sun-dried tomatoes, divided
  • 1 cup roasted red pepper, roughly chopped (from 1 to 2 peppers)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • about 12 ounces curly kale (8 packed cups), washed and dried, thick stems removed, roughly chopped
  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • sun-dried tomato oil for drizzling
  • chili flakes for garnish (only if you want more heat)

Instructions
 

  • Roast the red pepper if you haven't purchased those in a jar. Place the pepper directly on top of a high flame on the stove. Use kitchen tongs to turn the pepper as it chars. When most of the pepper is charred, put it in a brown bag, fold over the top and let it steam for 10 minutes. When it's cool enough to touch, use your hands to peel off the skin. (You can also steam it in a bowl tightly covered with plastic wrap.)
  • Cook the Vegetables. Coat a large soup pot with olive oil and place it over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft and beginning to brown, about 7 minutes.
    Add the potato, ¼ cup of the sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red pepper, paprika, cayenne, and the kale. Cook this mixture until the kale has wilted. All of the ingredients should be starting to brown and to sticking to the bottom of the pan -- it will take about 10 minutes.
  • Add Stock and Simmer. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, cover the pot, and then reduce to a very low simmer. Simmer the soup for about 30 minutes. (At this point the potatoes should be very tender.)
  • Purée the Soup. Pour half of the soup into a powerful blender and blend on high until it's completely smooth. Once it's blended, pour it back into the stock pot. Then do the second batch and pour it into the pot as well. (This particular soup is much better blended this way than with an immersion blender, because kale is fibrous.)
    It's always a good idea to hold down the lid firmly when blending soups. If you don't, the hot liquid, vibration and steam might force the lid off. It's good to use a folded towel to protect your hands from the possibility of hot liquid seeping out of the lid during blending.
  • Add Vinegar and Season. Add the vinegar and sugar and season very generously to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's How to Season to Taste.)
  • Garnish and serve. Drizzle a bit of the oil from the sun-dried tomato marinade over the soup -- or individual servings -- and top with a few of the remaining sun-dried tomato pieces and chili flakes (if desired).

NOTES

Nutritional information is automatically calculated, so it should only be used as an estimate.

NUTRITION

Calories: 191kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Sodium: 1303mg | Potassium: 757mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 6566IU | Vitamin C: 72mg | Calcium: 178mg | Iron: 2mg
Keywords vegan soups, comforting soup recipes, healthy soup recipes
Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

Cooking On The Weekends is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

More Soups & Stews

  • Italian yellow-edged bowl full with chicken and rice soup with carrot slices.
    Hearty Chicken Vegetable and Rice Soup
  • Chocolate Chipotle Colorado Style Chili in a ceramic golden bowl with cheese and cilantro on top.
    Mexican Chocolate Chili and Casa Mia Restaurant
  • 3 bowls of butternut squash chili with fresh oregano sprigs
    Butternut Squash Chili
  • Tofu Chili in rainbow striped bowl.
    Tofu Chili

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Aubin

    March 01, 2023 at 1:53 am

    5 stars
    I just made this soup this evening and it was fantastic! Although I had to use oven roasted tomatoes instead of sun dried It came out better than expected! I also chopped my kale in a food processor first before adding to soup then just used my immersion blender It worked like a charm! Thanks again for this fantastic addition to my repertoire!

    Reply
    • valentina

      March 01, 2023 at 3:11 am

      Aubin -- so happy you made this! And that you loved it! Oven roasted tomatoes are a great addition! 🙂

      Reply
  2. steelcitykitchen

    March 19, 2023 at 7:35 pm

    5 stars
    This was amazing, I've got tons of kale growing in the garden and have just made it tonight - I loved it, thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
    • valentina

      March 20, 2023 at 5:37 am

      Oh I'm so happy you tried this recipe! It's one of my favorites! Thank YOU! 🙂

      Reply
  3. jennifer

    March 20, 2023 at 12:45 am

    5 stars
    made this tonight!! my taste buds are singing!! thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • valentina

      March 20, 2023 at 1:10 am

      Jennifer, so happy it was a hit! 🙂 Thanks for being one of my readers!

      Reply
  4. angiesrecipes

    September 17, 2024 at 8:08 pm

    Can't eat kale at all...they bloat me like hell...however, the soup does look very flavourful and delicious.

    Reply
    • Valentina

      September 18, 2024 at 2:25 pm

      Well, of all the things to have to pass on, this one isn't too bad. I mean, what if it were chocolate? (GASP!) 😉 ~Valentina

      Reply
  5. Mimi Rippee

    September 18, 2024 at 12:25 am

    This is wonderful! I’ve used sun-dried tomatoes before as a thickener!

    Reply
    • Valentina

      September 21, 2024 at 8:17 pm

      Nice! Thanks for checking it out, Mimi. And enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina

      Reply
  6. David Scott Allen

    September 23, 2024 at 10:34 am

    I would never have thought that “creamy” and “kale” would ever appear in the same sentence much less in a soup! Definitely need to try this!

    Reply
    • Valentina

      September 23, 2024 at 4:58 pm

      Ha! I'd never thought about that, but very true! And creamy is the best way to have it, if you ask me. 😉 ~Valentina

      Reply
  7. Raymund | angsarap.net

    September 24, 2024 at 3:15 pm

    5 stars
    This kale and potato soup sounds like the ultimate comfort dish! I love how you've made it so rich and velvety without any cream, relying on the potatoes for that indulgent texture. The combination of roasted red pepper and sun-dried tomatoes adds such a lovely depth of flavor. I can already imagine how warming this would be on a chilly night.

    Reply
    • Valentina

      September 26, 2024 at 1:29 pm

      Hi Raymund,
      Thank you for checking out the soup. Here's to the next chilly soup night. 😉 ~Valentina

      Reply
  8. Ben | Havocinthekitchen

    September 30, 2024 at 8:50 am

    5 stars
    We have had a lot of kale in our garden this year (and it keeps growing)... and we don't even like it that much lol. I think using it for soup sounds like a great idea, and the soup looks hearty and inviting!

    Reply
    • Valentina

      September 30, 2024 at 10:37 pm

      Hi Ben. Thanks for checking out the recipe. I feel similarly about kale -- I only like it certain ways, and this is one of them. :- ~Valentina

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Valentina, certified chef, owner, recipe developer and photographer at Cooking on the Weekends. I'm also a mom of two boys and a Los Angeleno. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining.

More about me →

POPULAR SIDES FOR A BARBECUE

  • Lemon Grilled Asparagus in Foil
  • Little Gem Lettuce Salad with avocado slices on white plate.
    Grilled Little Gem Lettuce Salad
  • Close up of sliced Sliced Marinated Grilled Portabello Mushrooms on a white rectangulsr plate with green onions.
    Marinated Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
  • Several grilled scallions on a white plate.
    Grilled Green Onions

POPULAR SPRING DESSERTS

  • Minty strawberries and apricots over vanilla ice cream in white bowl.
    Minty Strawberry Apricot Dessert
  • Loaf of Strawbery Rosemary Cake with three cut slices on a red and white floral cloth and fresh rosemary spring.
    Strawberry Rosemary Cake
  • Several mini pavlova nests filled with fresh berries, whipped cream and a mint leaf, on a baking sheet.
    Mini Pavlovas with Lemon and Beries
  • three slices of White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake stacked
    White Chocolate and Raspberry Loaf Cake

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Press

Newsletter

Get new recipes you’ll love!

Contact

  • Contact
  • Work with Me

Review the privacy policy for Cooking on the Weekends

Copyright © 2024 Cooking On The Weekends, All Rights Reserved