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Curried Red Bean Soup With Kale

By Zaynab Issa

Published May 30, 2025

Curried Red Bean Soup With Kale
Joel Goldberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Rating
5(104)
Comments
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This riff on classic Italian minestrone draws inspiration from rajma and maharage nu shaak, two red kidney bean curries with spiced, aromatic gravies, typically made with tomatoes (rajma is Hindi for kidney beans, and maharage is Swahili for beans). This version offers a perfect use case for black mustard seeds, which bloom in the oil to add a sharp, earthy flavor before the onions and garlic are added. This, along with a few other warming spices, helps create an aromatic tomato base for the kidney beans, pasta and greens. Using whole peeled tomatoes (preferably San Marzano) is key to achieving a brothy soup that still has body, but crushed tomatoes will work in a pinch.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings 
  • 2tablespoons olive oil, plus more for serving 
  • 1tablespoon black mustard seeds (see Tip)
  • 1large yellow onion, finely diced
  • 4garlic cloves, finely grated  
  • Kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal
  • 1teaspoon ground cumin 
  • 1teaspoon ground coriander 
  • ½teaspoon ground turmeric 
  • ½teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder, plus more for serving (or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper and ¼ teaspoon paprika) 
  • 1(28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano 
  • 4cups vegetable stock 
  • 1(14-ounce) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (see Tip)
  • ½cup ditalini, or other short pasta
  • 5ounces baby kale or baby spinach
  • Grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

166 calories; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 22 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 709 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat a large pot over medium-high. Add oil and mustard seeds and cook until the mustard seeds begin to pop, 30 to 60 seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Carefully add onion, garlic and 1 teaspoon salt (the oil may sizzle). Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and softened, about 5 minutes. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric and chile powder and cook, stirring to coat the onion and garlic, until the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in the tomatoes (and any juices) and ½ teaspoon salt. Use a wooden spoon or masher to crush the tomatoes into small pieces, leaving a few larger pieces for texture if desired. Add stock and kidney beans, stir and bring to a boil.

  4. Step 4

    Once boiling, add ditalini and reduce to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally to make sure ditalini doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot, until pasta is cooked through and soup has thickened slightly, 10 to 15 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Just before serving, stir in kale to wilt. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with a drizzle of olive oil, a sprinkle of Parmesan if desired and a pinch of chile powder.

Tips
  • Black mustard seeds add a subtle nutty flavor to dishes when sizzled and popped in oil or ghee. Find them at larger supermarkets, South Asian markets or online.
  • Kidney beans can be replaced with white beans or chickpeas.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
104 user ratings
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Comments

Rachel S

I made this for a light supper with friends last night. It was easy and delicious! Everyone enjoyed it. The only change I made was to cook everything except the pasta and greens in advance so that the flavors had a chance to meld. Then, before serving, I added 1/4 C of water and proceeded with the pasta and greens. Delicious! I served the soup with buttermilk cheddar biscuits. I will be making this again!

Murli Koushik

I love this recipe! I made it today for our family lunch, and it turned out really well. I use spinach instead of kale, and that is pretty much the only substitution I made. Now I'm trying to memorize the recipe so that I can make it again without referring to the excellent step-by-step instructions from Zaynab Issa. :)

Cheryl Keown

I loved this. It was a little blander than I expected during the cooking, but was very tasty when finished. It was also very filling.

dimmerswitch

Tried this with white beans; outcome good. Second time used red beans; outcome really good! I like to cook beans from dry and chose RG Domingo Rojo but I think any red bean should work. Can equivalent cooked beans = @ 1 3/4 C. Seasonings seemed perfect for my household's taste buds. Second time I omitted kale and stirred in a big handful of chopped cilantro at end. Delicious. Crumbled sheep milk feta was better than parm to finish for us. Easy, Keeper.

dimmerswitch

Brown mustard seeds can be substituted for black ones. They still offer the earthy, spicy quality of black if a bit less pungent. Yellow mustard seems cannot be substituted.

Dave

I really enjoyed this soup. Fun to make and the seasoning was very interesting to taste. I froze leftovers until I was ready to use as a quick lunch, and they turned out as good as fresh from the stovetop. Will definitely make again.

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