Creamy Vegan Gnocchi Soup

By Alexandra Caspero on January 31, 2023
Spicy gnocchi soup! Perfect for chilly winter days.
Serves 4-6

Creamy gnocchi soup with vegan sausage and kale. This simple and healthy vegan gnocchi soup is delicious and perfect for chilly evenings.

There are currently a few inches of snow on the ground outside my office window as I type this, which can only mean one thing– soup season is in full swing! I’m fairly certain we at soup at least 2-3x a week during months like this. Who wants a big salad when temperatures are in the teens!? No thanks, give me a big bowl of this vegan gnocchi soup instead.

This recipe is inspired by zuppa toscana, which has also inspired my sausage, spinach and potato soup. You all love that potato soup recipe, so I decided to make a different version with coconut milk and pillowy gnocchi in place of the hearty potatoes. I’ve clearly got a thing for spicy vegan sausage, creamy broth, and hearty greens, like kale.

Unlike some soup recipes, this one is weeknight-friendly. You only need a handful of ingredients and because the gnocchi takes only minutes to cook through, it is ready in 40 minutes.

Two Bowls Of Soup With Gnocchi, Kale And Vegan Sausage

Key Ingredients

  • Vegan sausage
  • Onion
  • Celery
  • Dried spices, like oregano, basil and crushed red pepper
  • Dried gnocchi
  • Vegetable broth
  • Kale
  • Coconut milk
Gnocchi And Kale In A Pot With A Wooden Spoon

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

You can use any vegan sausage that you like. I typically use field roast or Beyond in other recipes, (like my vegan rigatoni pasta or my sheet pan skillet dinner) but any will work. If you prefer to not use a vegan sausage, then I’d recommend my tempeh sausage crumbles or my tempeh bacon. You want something meaty for this recipe, so I don’t recommend removing it.

Coconut milk is key for the creaminess of this soup. I prefer full-fat canned coconut milk, but light coconut milk will also work. I don’t recommend using a coconut milk beverage, like that found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. You can also use a vegan creamer, but I recommend a smaller amount to taste, about 3-4 tablespoons depending on the heft of the creamer.

I prefer Tuscan-style kale for this recipe (and most of my kale soup recipes) but you can use curly kale instead. The key is to finely chop the kale before adding it to the soup; this reduces the bitterness of the kale and also makes for a more pleasant bite.

Creamy Soup With Gnocchi And Kale

How to Make this Creamy Gnocchi Soup

Cook the sausage

As vegan sausage can get too soft if cooked for too long, I recommend browning it first in the soup pot and then removing it to add in at the end.

Sauté the aromatics

I kept this gnocchi soup recipe fairly simple– all you need is onion, garlic, and celery. Cook until softened.

Add in the rest of the ingredients

Stir in the broth, gnocchi, and kale, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the gnocchi is cooked through.

Finish and enjoy!

Add in the cooked sausage, then remove from heat and add in the coconut milk. I also like to add in some vegan parmesan cheese, either my homemade recipe or store-bought.

Gnocchi And Vegan Sausage In A Soup Pan With Vegetable Broth

Tips for Success

As the sausage is such a big part of this recipe, make sure that you are choosing a brand that you love the taste of. You’ll want to brown this first, then remove before cooking the rest of the ingredients.

Packaged, vacuum-sealed gnocchi is best for this recipe. I don’t recommend frozen gnocchi for this soup as it can be too gummy. However, you can use mini gnocchi if you find it, or even gluten-free gnocchi if you need this recipe to be gluten-free.

Cooked Vegan Sausage

Frequently Asked Questions

What vegan sausage is best?

I’m partial to field roast or Beyond sausage, but I’ve made this with Impossible sausage. You need to choose whatever sausage you like the taste of for this soup recipe. The only downside with meat alternatives is that they tend to be higher in sodium, but as a dietitian, I don’t have any issues including them in my overall nutritious diet a few times a week.

As I often get questions related to the health benefits of fake-meat, I highly recommend reading this SWAP-MEAT trial from Stanford researchers which demonstrated that compared to organic, grass-fed meat, the plant meats improved several cardiovascular disease risk factors.

How to store leftovers


As with other noodle soup recipes, the gnocchi can get soft the longer this soup sits. I recommend enjoying it right away, or you can freeze the leftovers.

What goes well with vegan gnocchi soup?


We usually serve this one with my Instant-Pot bread (the perfect shortcut for homemade crusty bread) or a simple side salad, like my house salad.

Close Up Photo Of Sausage And Gnocchi

More Vegan Soup Recipes:

More Gnocchi Recipes:

Creamy Gnocchi Soup In A Bowl With A Spoon

If you make this creamy gnocchi soup, make sure to come back to leave a rating and a comment. Your feedback helps other readers and seeing you make my recipes makes my day.

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Bowl Of Soup With Kale, Vegan Sausage And Gnocchi

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Bowl Of Soup With Kale, Vegan Sausage And Gnocchi

Creamy Vegan Gnocchi Soup

  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 46 servings 1x
  • Category: dinner, soup, healthy
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: American, Italian Inspired
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

Creamy gnocchi soup with vegan sausage and kale. This simple and healthy vegan gnocchi soup is delicious and perfect for chilly evenings.


  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 46 servings 1x
  • Category: dinner, soup, healthy
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: American, Italian Inspired
  • Diet: Vegan
  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 46 servings 1x
  • Category: dinner, soup, healthy
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: American, Italian Inspired
  • Diet: Vegan
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 23 spicy vegan Italian sausages, diced (like Beyond, Field Roast or Impossible)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, grated
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried basil
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 24 ounce package gnocchi
  • 6 cups vegetable broth
  • 4 cups finely chopped Tuscan kale
  • 2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup vegan parm cheese, if desired
  • Splash lemon juice, optional

Instructions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sausages and saute until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
  2. Add in the onion, celery, and a pinch of salt and cook until vegetables are softened about 8-10 minutes. If vegetables are sticking, add a little more olive oil. 
  3. Add the garlic cloves, seasonings, red pepper flakes and cook another minute until just fragrant. Add the gnocchi, kale, and vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until gnocchi is softened, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in the cooked sausage. 
  4. Remove from heat and stir in the coconut milk and parmesan cheese. 
  5. Season to taste, adding more salt/fresh pepper as desired. Add in the splash of lemon juice (optional– but I think it brightens the soup!)

did you make this?

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Meet Alex Caspero

Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, New York Times Bestselling Chef, and mom of two. She aims to cut through the nutrition noise by providing real-life, nourishing tips for body and mind. Learn more about Alex.

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    1. HS Harrington
      January 23, 2024 AT 1:08 pm

      Loved this soup. Rich and creamy with lots of smoothness from the gnocchi and chewiness from the sausage. One note: do not do what I did and accidentally double the oregano. I’m eating away and thinking, “Gee, if I were making this for kids I would definitely halve the oregano.” Turns out I was right–the recipe called for only one tablespoon of oregano and I had added two!

      To show you how good this recipe is, that soup still tasted fantastic! Highly recommended.






      1. Mik
        February 1, 2024 AT 11:34 pm

        OOF I PUT IN 2 TABLESPOONS OF BASIL INSTEAD OF TEASPOONS

    2. Jen
      February 9, 2023 AT 3:39 pm

      Easy to put together and absolutely delicious!






    3. Kelly
      January 31, 2023 AT 4:35 pm

      This soup was DELICIOUS!! It is very hearty and filling. Great for a cold day.






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