My collard greens soup is hearty, healthy, and full of flavor! It's packed with delicious ingredients like potatoes, veggies, and kidney beans in a smoky broth.
Collard greens are one of my most beloved leafy greens. They're so hearty and healthy and versatile — SO GOOD in such a wide variety of dishes from Cuban rice and beans to collard wraps to black-eyed pea soup. I especially love my collard greens with smoky flavors, and that's exactly what I chose to pair them up with in this scrumptious collard greens soup!
Jump to:
Southern-style collard greens are typically super smoky, thanks to the inclusion of bacon in the dish. We're keeping things vegan around here, so you won't find bacon in this recipe. You will find a deliciously smoky flavor, thanks to the spice blend we're using. You'll also find hearty ingredients like red beans and potatoes, making this soup both delicious and meal-worthy!
Ingredients You'll Needs
- Olive oil. Other high heat oils will work with this recipe. Vegetable oil, avocado oil, and coconut oil are all fine to use instead of olive.
- Onion.
- Carrots.
- Celery.
- Garlic.
- Vegetable broth.
- Collard greens.
- Red potatoes. Other types of potatoes will work just fine if red aren't available. You could substitute a couple of yellow potatoes, such as Yukon golds, a single baking potato, or even a sweet potato, for a totally different flavor variation!
- Kidney beans. Got a can of some other type of beans on hand? You're probably fine to substitute it for the kidney beans. Black beans, red beans, pinto beans, and cannellini beans are all suitable options.
- Spices. We're using a southern-inspired spice blend here, so you'll need dried thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper.
- Red wine vinegar. This adds a touch of tangy flavor to the soup! If you have another type of vinegar on hand, such as white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, it should work just fine as a substitute. You could even use lemon juice, though it will give the soup a slightly different flavor profile.
- Salt and pepper.
- Fresh chives. These make a great topping for collard greens soup, but they're by no means required. Feel free to experiment with other fresh herbs as toppings. Scallions and fresh parsley would work great!
How It's Made
Below is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
Step 1: Heat your olive oil in a large pot, then add diced onion, sliced carrots, and chopped celery. Cook the veggies until they start to soften up. Step 2: Add the garlic and continue cooking everything for about a minute.
Step 3: Stir in the broth, chopped collard green leaves, chopped potatoes, and kidney beans. Add all of the spices. Crank up the heat and bring your soup to a boil.
Step 4: Lower the heat and let your soup simmer for about twenty minutes. Be sure to give it a stir from time to time as it cooks.
Step 5: The soup is done when the greens have dulled in color, as shown in the photo above, and the potatoes are fork tender. Take the pot off of heat and add some red wine vinegar, along with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 7: Your collard greens soup is done! Ladle it into bowls and top each one with a sprinkle of fresh chives. I also love to enjoy my soup with some hot sauce and vegan cornbread or vegan corn muffins on the side.
Leftovers & Storage
Leftover collard greens soup will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about three days, or in the freezer for up to three months.
Variations
- Extra protein. To add some protein to your soup, stir in some diced tofu bacon or crumbled tempeh bacon, or add an extra can of beans.
- Tomato-based soup. Add a can of diced tomatoes and/or a couple tablespoons of tomato paste to the soup. Fire roasted tomatoes would work particularly well and add some extra smoky flavor!
- Make it creamy. You can add creaminess to the base of this soup by blending up a portion of it using an immersion blender, or by transferring it to a conventional blender. Always use caution when blending hot liquids!
Frequently Asked Questions
It's a tad spicy, thanks to the cayenne pepper. You can leave it out if you like to keep things mild, or use additional cayenne for extra heat. Not sure how much to use? Hold off on adding it until the soup is almost done. Stir in a bit at a time, taste testing with each addition.
Yes, it is.
Sure! You can directly substitute firmer greens, like kale. However, if using a more tender green, like spinach, you'll want to add it during the last five minutes or so of simmering, as it will cook much quicker.
Nope! But you're certainly welcome to if you prefer.
Yes, but you'll need to soak and thoroughly cook them first. Try using this method. You'll need about two cups, as measured after cooking.
More Soups Featuring Leafy Greens
Like this recipe? If so, please stop back and leave me a review and rating below if you try it! Also be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest or Instagram, or subscribe to my newsletter for more recipes like this one!
📖 Recipe
Smoky Collard Greens Soup
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 6 cups vegetable broth
- 1 medium bunch collard greens, (about 1 pound) stems removed and leaves chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2 medium red potatoes, chopped (½ to 1 inch)
- 1 (15.5 ounce/439 gram) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chopped fresh chives, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the olive oil and place it over medium heat. Give the oil a minute to heat up, then add the onion, carrots, and celery. Sweat the vegetables for about ten minutes, until they begin to soften.
- Stir in the garlic and cook it with the veggies until it becomes very fragrant, about one minute.
- Stir in the broth, collard greens, potatoes, kidney beans, thyme, oregano, smoked paprika, and cayenne pepper. Raise the heat and bring the soup to a boil.
- Lower the heat so that the soup is just cooking at a low simmer. Let it cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the greens are tender and have become less vibrant in color, and the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork.
- Remove the pot from heat. Stir in the red wine vinegar, then season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into bowls and serve.
Would you like to save this?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Excellent! Made as directed, but next time I think I will add fire roasted tomatoes.
I like to preserve this soup for a longer period. Can it be canned?
It probably can, but I'm not very experienced with canning, so I can't say for sure. It can be frozen for up to three months, though!
What a bold, bold flavor! This soup is perfect for a cold, blustery day. (In all transparency ... I'm in Florida so it is neither cold nor blustery ... but still enjoyed this hearty soup.) It definitely packs a pleasant punch (I reduced the red pepper by half ... I'm a wimp!). I love all the veggie goodness that I get from this soup. The more I ate it, the more I enjoyed it. Thank you so much!
Hi,
an I use frozen greens and how much?
Sure! A one pound bag should be perfect. Enjoy!