This vegetarian kale soup is a great way to utilize seasonal winter vegetables like mushrooms and garlic. Serve with bread or salad for a full meal.
I’m usually the one to use superlatives, but this time it was Alex who called this the “best soup ever.” Granted, he was probably making fun of me, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that this vegetarian kale soup is one of our favorites – and it’s darn good! It’s a great way to use seasonal ingredients, with winter being prime time for hardy greens like kale (if you’re local, try the winter farmer’s market).
Even better is the delicious flavor that the garlic (20 cloves of it!) brings to this broth, along with the savory shiitake mushrooms. While this is good news for garlic lovers like ourselves, don’t be dissuaded if you’re not a garlic lover. Somehow, the taste isn’t overly strong, but softens into a savory goodness. I wasn’t even left with garlic breath! Give it a try, and let me know if my love for this stuff has clouded my tastebuds.
Making this vegetarian kale soup
When making this vegetarian kale soup, feel free to toss in whatever seasonal veggies you have on hand. This recipe doesn’t make a thick soup, so there’s room to throw in some extra ingredients. You’re also more than welcome to swap our the shitake mushrooms for button mushrooms, and the kale for spinach. Just make sure you cook the greens for only the last 5 to 10 minutes, otherwise they’ll become soggy.
Because this soup contains leafy greens, I wouldn’t recommend freezing the leftovers. I’ve done this in a pinch, but I’ve yet to find a green that reheats well after being frozen. This vegetarian kale soup will last for up to a week in the fridge and can be served alongside a salad or some crusty bread. It’s especially good for a sore throat; between the soothing broth and the nutrient-packed garlic and kale, you’ll hopefully feel better in no time after enjoying a few bowls of this soup!
Looking for more vegetarian kale recipes?
If you’re not a fan of kale, it’s likely because you’ve never had it prepared the right way! Kale can be used for so much more than salads. Here are a few of our favorite kale recipes:
- Spaghetti with Tuscan Kale and Chickpeas
- Hearty Sprouted Lentil Stew with Kale
- Mushroom and Kale Risotto
- Kale Pesto Bean Dip
- Roasted Red Pepper Pest Linguine with Kale and Feta
This recipe is…
Vegetarian and vegan.
Related: Try using our Homemade Vegetable Broth for this recipe!
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Vegetarian Kale Soup with Mushrooms and Garlic
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 1x
Description
This vegetarian kale soup is a great way to utilize seasonal winter vegetables like mushrooms and garlic. Serve with bread or salad for a full meal.
Ingredients
- 20 garlic cloves
- 5 ounces shiitake mushrooms
- 1 pound broad leaf kale (2 bunches)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- 10 cups vegetable broth
- 2/3 cup farro
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- Thinly slice the garlic. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and thinly slice them. Roughly chop the kale.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and a bit of kosher salt, then sauté beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 2 minutes more. Add the rice vinegar; simmer, stirring, until vinegar is almost evaporated.
- Add the vegetable broth and farro to the pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the kale and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the kale is tender. Season to taste with kosher salt.
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: vegetarian kale soup
Wow…no garlic breath? I’m impressed…my coworkers will thank you after I eat this one evening!
oooo, I love garlic and this soup looks delightful! wow, 20 cloves??
Thanks for the rec about it not being too garlicly. I love garlic but garlic-based soups kind of freak me out. This sounds like a perfect wintry-soup. Also, how do you do the veggie stock? Do you buy liquid stock, make it from scratch, or use bouillon cubes?
The photograph captures every savory spoonful. I relish the idea of using seasonal vegetables and this recipe is a terrific way to bring more kale to the table.
Hello, love your blog and this is a great recipe!
Have you ever blog hopped before? We’d love it if you contributed this awesome soup recipe to our blog hop on favorite soups, it’s a great way to get links back to your site. Really easy too.
You can check out our blog hop here:
http://blog.recipelion.com/fabulous-food-friday-january-blog-hop/
Thanks,
Sarah
Editor
RecipeLion.com
blog.recipelion.com
The best soup ever?!? That is SOME endorsement! I am looking forward to trying it!!!
I came across your posting and printed off your Kale & Garlic and your Split Pea Soups. I made the Kale & Garlic tonight and it was WONDERFUL! I couldn’t find the farro, so used the barley. We have a wonderful garlic press – that will mince or slice and it was fun being able to finally use the slice part of the garlic press. I followed the recipe exactly as directed. Next time, I’ll probably add a sweet onion sliced and cook it in with the garlic.
Thank you :-}}
Wow, this looks appetizing, need to try it!!!
Considering I couldn’t find Kale anywhere in the country that I live… I decided to substitute with Cabbage and it was still delicious. I testify that there was no garlic breath and I put in more than 20 actually! Thanks for this recipe… perfect for a cold night!
Hey, guys!
Working for Basic Roots Community Foods, I’m up to my ears in kale.
I think I heard one of you mention your site at a Indy Food Farm and Family Coalition meetup sometime recently. Trying to find a decent kale-soup recipe that DIDN’T require potatoes, I just stumbled across this here. Small web.
I figured I’d leave you a comment given all that.
I’m going to go make this now.
See you ’round
– Patch
Hi! I don’t think we were at the meetup – but glad you found our site! Reading up on the Indy Food, Farm, and Family Coalition now…