Hearty Kale Soup Recipe

This delicious, hearty kale soup recipe is perfect with some crusty bread on a cool day! A rustic mix of greens, potato, and linguica, this meal will become a family favorite around your table.

Now if I’m being honest, this soup is known in my family as “Grandma’s Green Soup.” But I didn’t think that would mean as much to you as it does to me!

No matter what you call it, though, this kale soup recipe is a perfect to-go cozy meal during the fall and winter months.

Healthy and Hearty Kale Soup REcipe

I feel like my Grandma always had a pot of soup on the stove. And this was one she was particularly always trying to get us to eat, I think because she knew greens were good for us.

She never had to convince me, though — I loved this stuff and I still do. My Grandma is gone now, but I called my Dad up and he keeps this recipe right in his noggin. So he gave me the Dad version (“a pinch of this, a handful of that”), and I’ve made it a little more specific for you here.

Psst — before you make the soup, be sure to check out our recipe for beer bread. It’s a great combo!

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More Cozy Recipes to Try

I took a moment to pick out some of our other most popular cozy recipes for fall and winter! Be sure to pin these so you don’t lose track of them.

• Delicious Easy Beef Stew Recipe
• Homemade Mulling Spices Recipe
• The Perfect Persimmon Bread Recipe
• Easy Beer Bread Recipe
• Baked Apple Oatmeal Recipe (It’s Gluten-Free!)

Is This a Portuguese Kale Soup?

You bet it is!

Well, let me be more clear. I am of 100% Portuguese descent, with both sides of my family coming from the Azores Islands.

This recipe is from my grandmother, who learned it from her mother (who, I’m guessing, learned it from her mother, and so on). Fun fact: my great grandmother actually came over to America from the Azores pregnant with my grandmother.

I think about that a lot, and can’t imagine that journey as an expectant mother. And every time I cook one of my old family recipes I feel close to the women who came before me and passed these recipes down.

Substitution And Gluten Free Ideas

As you’re making this kale soup recipe, think of the instructions here as a starting point.

One of the things I love about this recipe is that there are so many ways to substitute or switch it up. Try these ideas to start personalizing it for yourself or your family.

• Try substituting a different grain for the barley, or a gluten-free option like quinoa, wild rice, or buckwheat.
• Experiment with various greens like spinach, collards, or chard.
• Try chicken stock or even vegetable stock in place of the beef stock to change things up.
• Add your own favorite spices to switch up the flavor profiles.
• Instead of plain potatoes, try sweet potatoes or red potatoes.

Other Meats, Meatless, and Vegan Options

Whenever I can, I use linguica for this recipe because it tastes and feels so authentically Portuguese to me. I love the spicy, rustic flavor.

But you can certainly substitute plenty of other meats or meatless options!

• Try a flavorful crumbled sausage instead of linguica.
• If no linguica is available, any linked sausage would work as well.
• Substitute lean ground beef or ground turkey for a leaner option.
• Use vegetable stock and skip the meat entirely to make it vegan.

Kale Soup Ingredients

I think you’ll find that these ingredients are all easy to find and keep on hand! That’s part of what makes this kale soup recipe such a great one to keep in your back pocket and whip up when you need something cozy and hearty.

Grandma’s Green Soup Ingredients

• 2 bunches kale
• 2 large potatoes
• 1 large onion
• 26 oz beef stock
• 3/4 c dry barley
• 1 lb linguica (or any meat you prefer)
• 2 T olive oil
• 1 clove garlic
• salt and pepper to taste

How to Make This Kale Soup Recipe

1. First, prep the ingredients that need cutting. Peel and cut potatoes into 1″ cubes. Coarsely chop onion. Tear kale into bite-sized shreds. Cut linguica into 1/4″ medallions. Finely chop garlic.
2. Toss all ingredients into a large pot. Add enough water to just cover the mixture. Put on high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce temperature to simmer for just about 2 hours.
3. At 2 hours, test the potatoes and kale to see if you like the consistency. If they’re still a little hard, leave on a bit longer.
4. Take off the heat and serve!

How To Serve Kale Soup

I think you’ll agree that this kale soup recipe is best enjoyed with some delicious, crusty, flaky bread!

Hope you enjoy, and if you try this recipe be sure to rate it below. xoxo