Potato, Spinach and Sausage Soup

A hearty plant-based spinach sausage soup that’s perfect for colder months. If you love Olive Garden’s Zuppa Tuscana soup then you’ll love this one. With 17 g of protein per serving.

The inspiration for this recipe came after my husband made the most delicious pan-fried potatoes for dinner one night. They were so simple, but incredibly yummy. Quartered potatoes, a bit of olive oil, dried herbs and pepper flakes. I was craving them the next day, but wanted a heartier meal that would last for a few days.

If you love your soup hearty with lots of texture, then this spinach sausage soup brings its A game. Creamy potatoes, bright spinach, and tender hunks of vegan sausage.

Serve with my crusty, no-knead bread for a simple fall or winter meal that everyone will enjoy.

Ingredient and Substitution Notes

The benefit of this easy soup is that it relies mostly on pantry ingredients. You’ll also need olive oil to brown the veggies. 

• White or yellow onion: Along with the garlic, the sauteed onion adds savory, umami flavor and helps to tie in the potatoes and sausage.
• Red potatoes: Red or yellow potatoes will work, or other small potatoes like fingerling. Depending on the size of the potatoes, you’ll need to halve or quarter them.
• Fresh baby spinach: I call for spinach, but you can sub in other dark leafy greens, like kale, if desired.
• Vegan mild Italian sausage of choice: My favorite brands are Field Roast, Tofurkey, and Beyond Sausage. If you are using Beyond sausage and want a crumble sausage, then I recommend removing the casing first. Impossible also makes a breakfast sausage in a tube that works great.
• Vegetable broth: I prefer a lower sodium vegetable broth, but any broth will work here. As always, I recommend that you taste your broth before adding it to the soup or at least go with a broth that you know and love. There are a few vegetable broths on the market that are so off-putting to me (namely, Trader Joe’s) and change the great flavor of the soup. 
• Cashew cream or other non-dairy creamer: To mimic the taste of heavy cream typically used in a recipe like this, I recommend stirring in cashew cream or other non-dairy, unsweetened creamer right before serving. Oat creamer is great, or even a full-fat oat milk like Oatly. You want something with enough body and I don’t recommend using almond milk or another watery non-dairy milk. 
• For a creamy option without any cream at all, you can also blend 1/2 cup of white beans or cannellini beans with 1/3 cup of water until very smooth. If you are looking for a soup with more heft, then I like to add in cooked white beans to this recipe sometimes. 

How to Make

Like most soups, this one is fairly simple to put together. One of the primary reasons soups show up on my table so often this time of year. 

Step 1: Sauté the Onion and Sausage

Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil, onion, garlic, dried herbs and sausage. Cook, stirring often, until the sausage is well-browned and the onion is translucent and soft, about 10 minutes.

Step 2: Add the Potatoes

Add the potatoes and cook for another few minutes just to get some color on the potatoes. They will finish cooking in the broth. I like to make sure to stir often so the potatoes don’t stick.

Add the broth and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes more.

Step 3: Add the spinach

Right before serving, add the spinach, cashew cream and lemon juice. Stir in, then taste– adjusting seasoning as needed. Depending on how salty your broth is, you may need to add more salt. The acidity in the lemon juice complements this spinach sausage soup so well, giving it a bright, fresh taste.

How to make cashew cream

To make cashew cream, blend together 1/2 cup raw cashews, 1/4 cup water, a tablespoon of olive oil, a tablespoon of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt. 

For ease with blending, I recommend soaking the cashews in water for a few hours or doing a quick soak method with hot, boiling water over raw cashews for 10-15 minutes before blending. 

How to store leftovers

• Refrigerator: Leftovers will keep for 4 – 5 days in the refrigerator, stored in a covered container.
• Freezer: This sausage spinach soup is freezer friendly and can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 – 3 months. To freeze, let cool completely then place in freezer safe containers or freezer safe bags, leaving ½ inch head space for expansion. Thaw before reheating. 
• Reheat: Reheat this soup on the stove over low heat until warm, or in the microwave with 30 second intervals, stirring after each, until warmed through. 

Are Plant-Based Meats Healthy?

Even if you aren’t plant-based, emerging research is showing that the vegan meat alternatives like Beyond Meat are healthier than the meat counterparts; plus, plant-based meats are naturally free of cholesterol, lower in saturated fat and similar in protein content.

Since they are made from plants, they also have some fiber– especially the seitan based options. The only downside is they tend to be higher in sodium. I don’t eat them daily, but we do enjoy them a few times a week.

If you are looking for more recipes using meat alternatives, try my Impossible Bolognese, Impossible Smash Burgers, and Impossible Meatballs.

More Hearty Vegan Soup Recipes

• Tuscan Kale Soup
• Small Batch Lentil Soup
• Slow Cooker Taco Soup
• Red Lentil Soup
• Sweet Potato Stew
• Lentil Soup Made in the Instant Pot

You are going to love this spinach sausage soup! If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

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Potato, Spinach and Sausage Soup

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4.91 from 11 votes

Creamy Sausage, Spinach and Potato Soup! A hearty plant-based soup recipe that's perfect for colder months. If you love Olive Garden's Zuppa Tuscana soup then you'll love this one. 

Servings: 4 -6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Equipment

• Soup Pot

Ingredients 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup diced white onion
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more if you like things spicy, like me
• 8 ounces vegan sausage, chopped (my favorites are Tofurky and Field Roast brands, find them in the deli section near tofu. More in the blog above)
• 1 pound red potatoes or small yellow potatoes, quartered or halved depending on size
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 6 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 cup cashew cream, or other non-dairy cream option. See how to make cashew cream.
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, oregano, basil, red pepper flakes, pinch of salt and pepper, and sausage and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until sausage is lightly browned and onion has cooked down. Stir often so the sausage doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
• Add the potatoes  and cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
• Add in the vegetable broth and increase heat to a low boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes until potatoes are tender.
• Stir in the spinach until wilted, then remove from heat. Stir in the cashew crea and lemon juice, mixing to just combine, and taste for seasoning. Depending on the saltiness of your broth (I typically favor a low-sodium broth), you may need more salt/pepper.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 297kcalCarbohydrates: 33gProtein: 17gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gSodium: 1379mgPotassium: 949mgFiber: 7gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 4577IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 16mg

Course: healthy, main dish, Soup, vegan

Cuisine: American, Italian Inspired

Author: Alexandra Caspero