This chicken kale soup with chickpeas is comforting and delicious! It’s topped with a crispy rosemary garlic crouton.
This Chicken Kale Soup recipe is simple yet so flavorful! Brothy soups are our favorite comfort food and this one is no exception. Adapt to your liking, use your favorite kale whether curly kale, lacinato kale or even chard or spinach will work! If chickpeas are not your thing try white beans. Feel free to add extra vegetables like celery, or carrots. Please, though, do not leave out the croutons. These are essential.
Why You’ll Love This
- Healthy! Nutrient-rich kale and protein-packed chicken and chickpeas.
- Simple ingredients. Familiar “whole foods” ingredients.
- Comforting & flavorful. Nourishing soup with aromatic, herby, and savory flavor.
Ingredients
- Boneless chicken thighs: Use skinless chicken thighs or skin-on. Skins have wonderful collagen but make the soup a little more oily. Thighs become more tender and soft and create a rich, flavorful broth. Breasts tend to stay a bit firmer in the soup. Or sub leftover cooked chicken.
- Kale: Use your favorite kind, lacinato, curly, or even chard or spinach. Dark, leafy greens add nourishing comfort!
- Garbanzo beans: Use a can of rinsed and drained chickpeas. They add a satiating taste and texture. You can also substitute white beans, like cannellini beans.
- Chicken broth: Or sub veggie broth. Using homemade broth can bring in even more depth of flavor. Chicken stock or vegetable stock work too, as well as chicken bone broth.
- Onion and garlic: Aromatics that provide savory depth and pungent flavor.
- Herbs: Fresh rosemary and bay leaves for floral, earthy taste.
- Soy sauce: Adds umami richness to the soup.
- Spices: Kosher salt, black pepper, and chili flakes (Aleppo flakes are nice here).
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed, for tangy, vibrant flavor.
- Sourdough bread loaf: The “sourness” pairs beautifully with the soup.
- Optional: For extra flavor, browned andouille sausages give the soup an extra heartiness and spiciness.
How to make Chicken Kale Soup
Step 1: Sauté aromatics. In a large pot or dutch oven, sauté onion in olive oil over medium-high heat, 5 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary and sauté 2 minutes.
Step 2: Simmer. Add chicken broth, bay leaves, soy sauce, salt, pepper, chili flakes, and chicken thighs. Bring to boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.
Tip: For even more flavor, sear and brown the chicken skin over medium heat before adding to the soup. You can do this in a separate skillet at the same time, or do this in the soup pot first, then set aside.
Step 3: Shred chicken. Remove chicken thighs and shred into bite-sized pieces.
Step 4: Add chickpeas and kale. Bring to a simmer for 5-10 minutes until kale is softened.
Step 5: Taste and adjust. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and taste and adjust for salt.
Serve chicken, kale, and bean soup with a Rosemary Crouton on top of each bowl. Feel free to garnish with fresh herbs and parmesan cheese if desired.
Rosemary Croutons
Preheat oven to 375F.
Step 1: Slice bread into 1/4-inch slices.
Step 2: Mix. Combine oil, garlic, and rosemary in a small bowl.
Step 3: Bake. Brush oil mixture on both sides of bread. Bake on sheet pan for 15-20 minutes, until golden.
You can make the Rosemary Croutons a day in advance if you prefer.
FAQs
Yes! We add the kale near the end and once it is just softened we turn off the heat to help it maintain its texture a bit. You want it to turn bright green. You can remove the kale from its stems, but we just chop them small and add-in for the extra nutrient.
Yes! Simply leave out the chicken and enjoy as a kale and chickpea soup. You could always add extra veggies or chickpeas to make it a bit more substantial. The soup is naturally dairy-free.
Store leftover, cooled Chicken and Kale Soup in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
You can freeze this soup for 3 months. Remember to leave some room for expansion.
Such a hearty delicious meal! Hope you enjoy this chicken kale soup recipe!
More Chicken soups you’ll love!
Chicken Kale Soup Recipe
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
This chicken kale soup with chickpeas is comforting and delicious! It’s topped with a crispy rosemary garlic crouton.
Ingredients
Soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 8 cups flavorful chicken broth or veggie broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound of boneless chicken thighs *see notes
- 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
- pinch chili flakes (Aleppo flakes are nice here)
- 15.5-ounce can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and strained
- 2–4 cups chopped kale
- squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- optional- grated pecorino or parmesan for serving
Rosemary Croutons:
- 6–8 slices sourdough bread (sourdough bread is best for this recipe.. the “sourness” is actually really good with the soup)
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F ( for Rosemary Croutons)
- Start the soup: In a heavy bottom pot like a dutch oven, saute onion in olive oil over medium-high heat until tender, stir occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and rosemary. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Add chicken stock, bay leaves, soy sauce, salt, pepper, chili flakes and whole chicken thighs, bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. (Start the rosemary croutons)
- Turn the soup to low, while you remove the chicken thighs from the hot broth, and shred into bite-size pieces.
- Add chickpeas and chopped kale. Bring soup to a simmer for 5-10 minutes until kale is softened.
- Add a light squeeze of lemon. Taste for salt.
Remember, the rosemary croutons will add a lot of flavor and lovely texture! You can do these a day ahead.
Rosemary Croutons:
- Preheat oven to 375 F. With a sharp knife slice the bread in 1/4 inch slices. If large, cut in half at a diagnol.
- In a small bowl, mix the oil, garlic, and rosemary.
- Brush on both sides of bread and place on a baking sheet in oven until crisp and golden about 15-20 minutes.
Serve with a crusty crouton on top of each bowl.
Notes
Store leftovers in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Freeze for 3 months.
For extra flavor, browned andouille sausages give the soup an extra heartiness and spiciness.
If not making the croutons, sprinkle soup with a little pecorino or parmesan cheese.
Chicken thighs– We went with skinless thighs but skin is fine too- either way! (Skins have wonderful collagen but make the soup a little more oily) Thighs create a richer more flavorful broth and chicken thighs become tender and soft as they cook, breasts tend to stay firm in the soup. That said, you can use bone-in thighs, skinless chicken breasts -totally up to you! Or use up left-over cooked chicken.
Tip: To add even more flavor- sear and brown the chicken skin before adding to the soup. You can do this in a separate skillet at the same time, or do this in the soup pot first, then set aside.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ½ cup with crouton
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 5.3 g
- Sodium: 685.7 mg
- Fat: 14.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 51.1 g
- Fiber: 5.1 g
- Protein: 37.4 g
- Cholesterol: 65.6 mg
Excellent…healthy…just delicious!
Glad you enjoyed Hanna!