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
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.
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
I done this delicious soup several times and never fails. It’s very simple to make and it’s healthy and heart warming. My family loves this soup so much.
Happy you are enjoying!
This dish is AMAZING! So flavorful, super easy. Definitely filling!
So happy you liked it!
The photo of this soup got me even before reading the ingredients because a lot of my favorite ingredients were winking back at me. It was delicious and different. The rosemary croutons took this soup to the next level of yumminess with texture and added flavor. I’d never tasted andouille sausage and loved its spicy flavor giving the soup just the right amount of heat and meaty goodness. Thank you for a happy soup recipe!
Hi Jane! Im so glad you liked this one. An oldie on the blog but one of my favorites!
This was very tasty! My youngest, who is a rather picky eater especially when it comes to veggies, commented that she really liked the small green stuff in the soup 🙂 Yay for kale in delicious soup!
Thank for sharing another delicious recipe with us.
Wow- thanks that is great to hear that even kids like this one! YAY!!!
I made this for dinner this evening. We used vegetable stock and chopped turkey. We had garlic bread with it (no croutons). Delicious. We also used a more expensive brand of kale.
Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Looks amazing! Do you think it would be just as flavoursome without the meats (I’m veggie)?
Not quite, but still good! Just be sure to make the rosemary croutons. 🙂
I love, love, love this soup! The soy sauce and lemon adds so much flavor and the chile flakes should be mandatory. My new favorite soup…thank you.
yay! Happy you liked it!!
Glad you enjoyed!!
I am Brazilian, and grew up eating kale from our garden weekly, and I can say even without trying this recipe that’s delicious – kale in soups makes wonders, and with rosemary croutons? Oh my, I do have to try it.
I agree, kale is great in soup!
I saw this on Pinterest & just wanted to let you know that I made it for dinner tonight, it was absolutely delicious!!! You are so right that the croutons add the most wonderful flavour to the soup…my kitchen also smells fantastic right now!! Thank you 🙂
thanks for sharing!!!
Made this for dinner tonight – fabulous! Full of flavor – it was enjoyed by all.
Just finished a bowl for lunch! … which was intended for dinner when hubby arrived home, but I just couldn’t help myself! Pinned!! This is delicious….
What a great combination! My boyfriend and I made this soup, but added curry powder and a few other spices to give it a bit of an Indian flair. It was delicious! Now one of my go-to soups.
I love when people make recipes their own!
I pinned this recipe a while ago and finally got around to making it last night. I just wanted to say it was DELICIOUS – I made it for my boyfriend’s birthday and we LOVED it. Easy enough to make and really yummy – nice textures between the sausage, kale and chickpeas
Lauren
thanks Lauren!
I improvised a little based on timing and what I had but it was delicious!! Looking forward to eating it with bread, pasta, etc. for the rest of the week!
Yummy and Thank you!!! What a great soup, we LOVED it! Wouldn’t change a thing and will be making this one on a regular basis 🙂
Glad you liked it…thanks!
I am definitely going to have to try this! My husband and I are trying to incorporate more veggies into our diet. This looks like a great way to do that.
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My husband and I just made this tonight for a group of seven people with VERY hearty appetites. We doubled the recipe (tweaking just slightly according to preference on onions and seasonings) and it came out beautifully! The broth is rich and flavorful, and the rosemary croutons were so delicious we had to stop ourselves from munching on them while the soup finished. My extremely picky younger brother claimed it was one of the best meals he’d ever eaten, and my not-too-crazy-about-chickpeas husband practically licked his bowl clean. Thank you so much for the amazing recipe, it was DEFINITELY a success in our house!
Hi Sylvia, omgosh this sounds so filling and yummy! Beautiful photos 🙂
Gorgeous post. I love everything about this, from the recipe, itself, to the textural juxtaposition of crusty bread and savory, tender greens that I’m nearly experiencing just looking at these photos. Pinned and pining for a bowl right this minute.
Thank you so much!
This is a lovely post. First, the steam coming off those bowls is awesome! And I love the little dried chickpeas, they can be so hard to find, even here in Los Angeles. And I wouldn’t dream of leaving off those gorgeous croutons…
The croutons really are the icing on the cake.
Beautiful! I love greens, but I have to admit that despite its trendiness kale is one I struggle to appreciate. I do love it in soup, however, and this dairy-free version is really appealing.
I love it in soup too!