Easy Cappelletti Soup With Kale: 20-Minute Meals

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This easy cappelletti soup with kale comes together in about 20 minutes. It’s my version of traditional Italian-style soup with more substance, making it the perfect easy lunch or dinner recipe for cold winter days. Packed with your favorite cheesy cappelletti, carrots, onion, celery, and black kale, this souper supper soup is a soup lover’s dream. Say that ten times fast! The cappelletti soup can easily be customized to what you have on hand and also makes for a great budget-friendly meal.

When I met my current partner, he was big on traditional cappelletti soup. He insisted I try it; believe it or not, I hadn’t. Well, say it wasn’t what I was expecting. If you’ve been reading for a while, you know I wasn’t always great at making soups. In fact, I was a pretty awful soup maker. Pre-internet was the “dark age” of the 21st century. So, when I started to make more robust, flavorful soups for my family, I grew accustomed to the heartier styles of soups. And the cappelletti soup fell short. In fact, the soup I was offered was literally broth with cappelletti. I shuddered and smiled as I ate it. 

He’s still a fan of cappelletti soup, but he’s more so now that I’ve tweaked it and shared it with you. It’s the perfect way to use up your frozen veggies, too!

Looking for more soup recipes? Try my roasted tomato chicken soup or creamy potato and leek soup, which are equally satisfying. 

Why You Will Love This Kale Cappelletti Soup

It’s A Quick And Easy Recipe! This flavorful soup only takes 20 minutes to prepare, making it perfect for comforting meals on any busy weeknight.

Customizable. Adding more vegetables to the soup pot is easy when you have pasta in a lot of broth like this soup. 

Satisfying Yet Light. This soup is ideal when you’re not in the mood for an overly heavy dinner but want something that will still satisfy hungry family members.

Easy Cappelletti Soup With Kale_ 20-Minute Meals

The History of Cappelletti Soup and Its Journey to North America

Cappelletti soup is a classic dish from Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region. It consists of delicate, hat-shaped pasta (cappelletti) traditionally stuffed with cheese or meat and served in a rich broth. The dish has deep roots in Italian holiday traditions, especially Christmas when families gather to enjoy this comforting soup.

Italian immigrants brought cappelletti soup to North America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, along with many other beloved Italian recipes. Over time, the soup evolved to suit local tastes and ingredient availability. While the traditional version is a simple broth-based dish, many North American adaptations add heartier ingredients like vegetables, herbs, and proteins to create a more substantial meal.

Let’s Whip This Cappelletti Soup With Kale Up

Heat oil or butter in a large soup pot over medium heat. If you’re short on time, a frozen mirepoix mix (a blend of diced onions, carrots, and celery) is a fantastic shortcut—toss it straight into the pot! Sauté for about 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften slightly and become fragrant.

If you prefer fresh ingredients over frozen and have time to chop, chop the mirepoix instead. I’ve got a guide on making your own mirepoix mix, which you can prep for recipes like this!

Next, pour in eight cups of chicken broth. I used boxed stock for convenience, but homemade stock will add even more depth of flavor. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, allowing the mirepoix to infuse the broth.

Once the broth is boiling, add the black kale. Stir in the kale and let it wilt for 1–2 minutes until the leaves become tender but still vibrant.

Finally, add the fresh or frozen cappelletti and cook according to the package instructions—usually around 3–5 minutes or until they float to the surface and are tender. Give the soup a quick taste, adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if needed, and serve piping hot!

Ingredients:

Carrots Add a natural sweetness and a pop of color, balancing the soup’s savory elements while providing a tender bite.

Celery contributes a mild, aromatic depth and slight crunch, enhancing the broth’s classic flavor foundation.

Onion: Brings subtle sweetness, creating a rich, well-rounded base for the soup’s flavor. 

Olive Oil: Helps sauté the mirepoix, releasing its natural flavors and adding a silky mouthfeel to the broth.

Chicken Stock: This is the backbone of the soup, providing warmth, depth, and a comforting richness that ties all the ingredients together. I used boxed because it’s low cost and easy to work with.

Black Kale (Lacinato kale): Offers a hearty texture and slight earthiness, standing up well to the broth without becoming too soft.

Cappelletti: The star of the dish! These little pasta dumplings bring a satisfying, cheesy filling that makes the soup feel more substantial and comforting. Be sure to buy quality cheese-filled pasta for your soup.

Substitutions And Add-Ins For This Easy Cappelletti Soup

Carrots: Sweet potatoes or parsnips can be used in a pinch. I recommend cutting them into fine dice so they cook faster and adding them to the broth after you’ve sauteed the celery and onion.

Celery: Replace with fennel.

Onion: For this recipe, you can use any onion except green. Leeks will also work if you have them on hand.

Olive Oil: Can be replaced with another neutral oil.

Chicken Stock: A vegetable broth or even rich beef broth can be used. 

Black Kale (Lacinato kale, aka Tuscan kale): This kale can be replaced with regular kale, but curly kale is tougher, so chopped kale will be preferable to whole larger pieces. You can switch kale out altogether and use spinach, Swiss chard, or collard greens. You will need to adjust the cooking time accordingly for any green that requires less or more time to cook. 

Cappelletti: If you prefer, you can use a tortellini in this soup. They have similar fillings and still cook in much the same way as the cappelletti in the soup. They also tend to be easier to find in our local grocery store.

Fresh veggies you can add to make this soup even heartier include butternut squash, white beans, mushrooms, tomatoes (cherry), and red bell pepper. Remember, to keep the delicate broth in this soup, you must dice things smaller. 

Additional meat add-ins that you can use to make a hearty soup are crumbled, browned Italian sausage, rotisserie chicken shredded, leftover turkey from a holiday meal, or small meatballs could also be added. You would need to precook the meat to keep the soup easy to prepare for your weeknight dinner, which is why it’s a great way to use leftover meats.

Want to spice it up? Add a sprinkle of black pepper or red pepper flakes to the soup while it cooks to bring the heat!

Expert Tips, Serving, And Storing Suggestions For This Cappelletti Soup With Kale.

Tip #1: Sauté for Maximum Flavor – Don’t just toss the mirepoix into the broth! First, take a few extra minutes to sauté the onions, carrots, and celery in olive oil. This step enhances the natural sweetness and builds a richer flavor base for your soup.

Tip #2: Add the Kale at the Right Time – To keep the black kale (Lacinato kale) vibrant and slightly chewy, stir it in during the last few minutes of cooking. Adding it too early can make it mushy and dull in color.

Tip #3: Simmer, Don’t Boil, the Cappelletti – Once you add the cappelletti, keep the soup at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil. Boiling can cause the delicate pasta to break apart and lose its filling.

This easy cappelletti soup with kale is a soup lover’s dream. It offers a cozy, hearty bowl that warms you up from the inside out. Serve it with a slice of homemade crusty bread or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese for added comfort. Whether for a quick lunch or a satisfying dinner, this soup will become a favorite recipe for any soup lover.

To store leftover soup, remove the pasta from the broth before refrigerating. Store the soup base and the cappelletti separately in airtight containers in the fridge for 3–4 days. When ready to enjoy, reheat the soup and add the cappelletti. I do not recommend freezing this soup because pasta degrades after being cooked in liquid and then frozen. It is the perfect soup when you want something fresh rather than frozen.

If you enjoyed this Easy Cappelletti Soup with Kale, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Please rate the recipe and comment below with any tweaks or add-ins you tried. Your feedback helps others discover this cozy soup and make it their own! As always, happy cooking!

easy cappelletti soup with kale in white bowl

Easy Cappelletti Soup With Kale: 20-Minute Meals

Amber Bondar
This easy cappelletti soup with kale is a fast dinner or lunch idea. Customizable to what you have to work with the chicken broth with vegetables is a delicious cappelletti pasta soup that offers a new spin on the Italian version. Ready in just 20 minutes it's the perfect meal for a busy weeknight.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American, Canadian, Italian
Servings 10
Calories 268 kcal

Equipment

  • Large Soup Pot
  • Implement To Stir
  • knife *If Chopping Vegetables For Mirepoix Instead of Frozen
  • Cutting board *See Above

Ingredients
  

Mirepoix Mix

  • Cups Carrots Cut Up Fine Or Larger
  • Cups Celery Sliced
  • 1 Cup Onion Diced/Chopped

Making The Cappelletti Soup

  • 4 Cups Mirepoix Mix
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 8 Cups Chicken Broth
  • 6 Cups Black Kale Cut Up
  • Lbs Cappelletti Frozen (700g)

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot add the olive oil and heat on medium high.
    2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • Measure the mirepoix mixture in and sauté until soft. If using frozen cook until the mixture no longer has moisture evaporated.
    1½ Cups Carrots, 1½ Cups Celery, 1 Cup Onion
  • Add the chicken broth and bring to a full boil on high heat.
    8 Cups Chicken Broth
  • Reduce heat the medium-low and add the chopped black kale.
    6 Cups Black Kale
  • Push kale under soup to get it to wilt evenly.
  • Add the frozen cappelletti and simmer until cooked. Approximately 3-5 minutes.
    1½ Lbs Cappelletti
  • Cappelletti will float when cooked. Remove one from pot and cut open to be sure it's cooked.
  • Soup is finished. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 268kcalCarbohydrates: 35gProtein: 12gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 1026mgPotassium: 202mgFiber: 4gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 4538IUVitamin C: 15mgCalcium: 152mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Chunky Style Soup, easy dinner ideas, pasta
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