Navy Bean Tuscan Kale Soup

Support hormone balance with this warming soup, packed with fiber, herbs and nutrient-dense greens.

“This is one of my favorite winter soups for hormone balance,” says Mindy Pelz, DC, a hormone expert and the bestselling author of Eat Like a Girl, a cookbook focused on improving women’s health through food.

Diet plays a major role in our hormone production. Certain foods support hormones, while others disrupt them. This recipe focuses on the former, featuring nourishing ingredients that nudge the body toward healthy hormone levels.

Kale is rich in kaempferol, an antioxidant that supports balanced progesterone levels. A 2021 study published in Nutrients found that eating kaempferol can help increase progesterone naturally and may be especially beneficial for women.

Oregano and thyme are high in luteolin, another beneficial antioxidant. A 2019 study identified luteolin as a phytoestrogen—a compound that mimics the body’s natural estrogen—and a 2023 study concluded that eating luteolin-rich herbs like oregano and thyme can support ideal estrogen levels, particularly in perimenopausal and menopausal women.

White beans are high in lignans, another antioxidant that encourages estrogen production. A 2019 review in Molecules found that a lignan-rich diet improves menopausal symptoms, balances hormones and may even lower the risk of chronic disease.

Combine all these nourishing ingredients (and other healthful additions) in the following recipe to create a delicious winter soup, perfect for hormone balance and overall well-being.

Yield: 4 servings

2 Tbsp avocado oil

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

2 fresh thyme sprigs
   (leaves removed, minced)

3 fresh oregano sprigs
   (leaves removed, minced)

1½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

5 cups vegetable broth

2 14.5 oz cans cannellini or navy beans,
   drained and rinsed

6 cups chopped kale

1 lemon, cut into wedges

 

Heat avocado oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery and carrots. Cook until onions are translucent (about 2 minutes).

Stir in garlic, thyme, oregano, salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Cook for another 3 minutes.

Pour in broth and beans. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Add kale during the last 5 minutes, stirring well.

Serve with a lemon wedge to squeeze on top for extra brightness.

Adapted from Eat Like a Girl: 100+ Delicious Recipes to Balance Hormones, Boost Energy, and Burn Fat (Hay House LLC, 2024). Dr. Mindy Pelz is a world-renowned women’s health expert on a mission to empower women to believe in their bodies. In addition to Eat Like a Girl, she is the bestselling author of Fast Like a Girl and The Menopause Reset. Her podcast, The Resetter Podcast, is ranked among Apple’s top 20 U.S. science podcasts and routinely features prominent guests such as LeAnn Rimes, Danica Patrick, Lisa Bilyeu, Miesha Tate, Cynthia Thurlow, Sheri Salata, Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, Max Lugavere and others. Her YouTube channel has garnered more than 75 million lifetime views and 1 million followers. Pelz holds a bachelor of science degree from the University of Kansas and a doctor of chiropractic degree.