Detoxifying Kale Soup
Detoxifying Kale Soup- a cleansing soup packed full of detoxifying kale and fresh lemon juice. Creamy, satisfying and super easy to make! (vegan + gluten-free)
I feel like the alternative title for this recipe should be Shrek Soup.
Let’s be real, it’s not the most attractive. No matter how hard I try to make it look pretty, it’s bright green and just…not pretty. But I promise this is one of those recipes that tastes way better than it looks! You just have to see beyond the exterior and appreciate what’s on the inside.
I’ve actually posted this recipe years ago and decided to give it a facelift because it’s one that I make so often. I’m aware it’s not one that’s going to go viral any time soon (or ever) but if you’re like me and try to eat as much greens as possible then I think you’ll enjoy it. Because it packs in two whole bundles of kale so each bite is loaded with healthy green goodness.
Detoxifying Kale Soup Ingredients
- Oil- We start with a few tablespoons of oil to sauté the vegetables. I like to use avocado oil for its neutral flavor and high heat but feel free to use your preferred choice of oil. You could also use broth in place of oil to make the soup oil-free. If you do this I recommend adding a source of fat or eating a salad with avocado on the side to help your body absorb all of the yummy nutrients in the soup.
- Onion and Garlic- These two make up the base of the soup adding just enough savory flavor while keeping things simple. If you want to up the veggies, adding celery and carrot would also be delicious, however carrot would probably turn the soup brown, making it even less attractive.
- Kale- Lacinato (or dinosaur) kale is my favorite because I find that the flavor is more pronounced and it’s just…delicious. That said, regular curly kale works just as well. You don’t have to worry about removing the stem when you prep it because it’s all going to get blended at the end.
- Cauliflower- Using an entire head of cauliflower gives this soup a creamy texture while also adding a host of healthy antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
- Yukon Gold Potato- The starches from the potato up the creaminess even more and the added fiber helps fill you up.
- Vegetable Broth– My go-to is Better Than Bouillon because it adds the most flavor.
- Lemon Juice- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice add a hint of acidity that brings everything together. The vitamin C also helps you absorb the iron so don’t skip it!
How to Make Detoxifying Kale Soup
- Sauté the vegetables for about 8 minutes. Pour in the vegetable broth and cook until the cauliflower and potatoes are tender.
- Transfer to a blender, squeeze in lemon juice and blend until smooth. You can also blend everything in the pot using an immersion blender, if you desired.
- Taste test and add salt as needed, serve warm and enjoy!
We find this to be plenty flavorful on it’s own but you could always add a sprinkle of cashew parmesan or fresh herbs if you want to jazz things up.
Served with a side salad and some sourdough, it makes for a healthy and cozy meal that’s perfect for the New Year. I know bread doesn’t really go with whole “detox” theme but all of the fiber in the soup is sure to keep that sourdough moving right along. ;)
Looking for more kale recipes?
- Winter Kale Salad with Lemon Dijon Dressing
- Spaghetti Squash with Mushrooms, Kale and Cashew Alfredo
- Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale and Farro Salad
- Shredded Brussels Sprout and Kale Salad
Detoxifying Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil, I like avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 cups cauliflower florets, approximately 2lb head of cauliflower
- 1 medium yukon gold potato, diced
- 5 cups chopped kale, about 2 large bunches
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot, warm the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion, sprinkle with salt & pepper and cook for about 3 minutes, until translucent.
- To the pot, add the cauliflower, garlic, kale and potato, stir together and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Pour the vegetable broth into the pot then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes, until the cauliflower and potato and tender.
- Transfer everything to a blender, squeeze in the lemon juice and blend until smooth. Taste test and add salt, if desired. Divide the soup into separate bowls and serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Ok, after living off dessert table leftovers all week, I am in desperate need of this soup!
I hear ya, Jill! It was a welcome change after all the cookies I ate last week. :)
You are the soup queen! I bow down to you. This looks so healthy and delicious. It’s ridiculously cold here today so I could totally go for something hot like this.
You give me too much credit, Kelly! ;)
Definitely in a soup mood with this (finally) rainy, winter weather. Been digging kale, cauli, and taters lately — so this recipe is right up my alley!
This looks wonderful. What brand of vegetable broth do you use? I sometimes make some from scratch but then I run out of it and have to rely on a store bought version. There are so many to choose from, but I would prefer to get a recommendation from you and hopefully it is a reduced sodium version, thanks! :)
I always use Better Than Bouillon’s Vegetable Base. You just add one teaspoon of it to one cup hot water and it makes vegetable broth. You can always use less than one teaspoon if you want to make it lower in sodium. But the flavor is the best I’ve ever had. I love it! :)
Thanks for your reply and recommendation about the vegetable broth question, much appreciated!
Thanks Kelly! Happy New Year to you as well! <3
That’s the spirit! Thanks Rebecca! :)
Thanks Kelli! David’s chili/soup looked pretty tasty on your snap! Minus the chicken, of course. ;)
This looks seriously delicious- kale and cauliflower are two of my all time faves :)
Hi Sarah. I’m so happy to find your blog and this recipe on Pinterest. Just want to personally thank you and let you know that I featured this recipe on my blog in my “10 Food Processor Soup Recipes (No Cooking Skills Required)” post.
Here it is, http://tinykitchendivas.com/food-processor-soup-recipes/
Please let me know if I missed something or if you want to change and add information about your blog and project.
Xoxo,
Tessah
Thanks for sharing, Tessah! :)
This looks great. Question, though — any thoughts on a substitute ingredient for the cauliflower? I can’t eat cauliflower….yikes.
You might be able to sub extra potato but you would have to use more broth to thin it. :)
Maybe parsnips…?
Or maybe celeriac/celery root. That would be a lighter option.
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Hello, my soup did not like the one in the picture at all, the picture shows it bright green, however, after frying kale and simmering it for 25 min there is no color left, I am very disappointed. I followed the directions.
I’m sorry it didn’t turn out as expected, Olga. Did you use 2 bundles worth of kale? The amount of kale is what gives the soup it’s green color. Also, did the soup taste bad or is it just the color you are disappointed with?
I just did the master cleanse for 4 days and I really want to start eating healthy. This is the first recipe I’ve done since and the soup was amazing. It was simple and absolutely delicious thank you.
I’m thrilled to hear that, Jane! I think the more you experiment and find healthy foods you enjoy, the easier it will become to make it a part of your lifestyle. Best of luck! :)
I am going to try today, sounds yummy! I didn’t see the nutritional facts?
Sorry Julie! I’m in the process of updating my old recipes so that they will include nutritional facts. It’s quite the undertaking when you have over 400 recipes but I’m hoping to have them done soon!
I found this page because I had a few bunches of fresh kale starting to wilt and some frozen cauliflower left in the freezer, so I googled “kale and cauliflower recipes” my version isn’t vegan though because I only had chicken Broth
I readjusted the quantities based on what I had on hand:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
~1.5 cups cauliflower florets, chopped (1/2 of a 1 lb bag of frozen cauliflower)
1/2 cup of chopped baby yellow potatoes
2.5 cups kale, chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt & pepper
2 cups organic chicken broth
juice of 1/2 lemon
(no milk)
I followed most of the same steps above, except after sautéing the onions for 3 minutes, I added the frozen cauliflower and cooked those together for 5 minutes until they defrosted. I added the garlic and potatoes, cooked a couple more minutes, and then added the kale last and cooked for 3 more minutes. I added the broth, boiled and simmered as directed.
I poured the mixture in my ninja blender, pureed and tasted it, and it was pretty creamy and delicious without the milk so I didn’t add any. Once it cooled some, I squeezed a bit of juice from a half a lemon and stirred it in. It made about 2 hearty servings, so I froze one and ate the other right away
Thanks for the tasty idea!
Whenever I find a soup like this that uses potato or rice for thickening/creaminess, I tend to use white beans. Like that it adds protein while doing the creamy thing.
I love this type of soup!
I really don’t like kale in salads or sautéed, so I’m going to give this a try. Lord knows I need to eat more leafy greens!
Wow! This is exactly what I needed! I upped the kale a little because I had way too much but other than that I stuck to the recipe and it was perfect. Surprisingly filling and so nutritious! Thank you!
I’m so glad you like it, Carrie! I love this soup and make it in the winter all of the time. Such a great way to load up on greens!
This is the tastiest soup ever! I came across your recipe when looking for ways to use up an abundance of kale from my garden. My son, who hates soup, loved it too! Will definitely be making this again and again. Now I’m hooked on your site and literally writing my menu plan for the week from your recipes, thank you!
Aw I love hearing that! Thank you for the review!
Love, love this soup! made it twice this week! I have so much kale in the garden and wanted a good recipe to use it and I found it! Doesn’t come out as green as in the picture but tastes wonderful! I will do it again and again!
thanks for the review, pat! it’s one of our favorites too! :)
Can you use broccoli instead of cauliflower?
You could! It will change the flavor because cauliflower is pretty subtle but it could still be good!
This has a very pleasant taste and is much faster to make that some other health green soups I’ve tried. For the commentator who did not like their soup’s dark color, I did keep the heat pretty low, as per the instructions. That may make a difference. Mine didn’t turn out bright green, but a nice green color–more like split pea soup.
I came down with a cold and I wanted something fresh and healthy to eat. Luckily enough I had just been to the farmer’s market and I had all the ingredients on hand. I used a combo of homemade egetable and beef broth because I had it on hand as well. I love the taste of lemon in the soup. Oh, I had a lot of fresh herbs on hand, so I put basil, dill oregano and thyme in it. I’ll be eating this for the next two days.