Easy vegan Zuppa Toscana recipe, lusciously creamy, naturally dairy free and gluten free, loaded with good for you Lacinato kale and comforting potatoes. One of the best homemade soups you’ll ever make with a WFPB fat free version option included.
I know we just stepped into summer, but soup is always present around here no matter the season. So I figured I might as well go ahead and share my healthy version of Zuppa Toscana with you on the blog, I have a feeling you’ll also be enjoying it all year long.
Think of it as a fancy copycat recipe of the famous Olive Garden soup but with a healthy twist, including an oil free whole foods plant based version. We all know that everything is better homemade and even better when it is cruelty free.
Better than the Olive Garden Vegan Zuppa Toscana:
This recipe features the incredible Italian plant based sausage from Beyond Meat. It is pan seared in a little drizzle of olive oil then added back into the luscious soup made super creamy with a quick homemade cashew cream.
I’m a huge fan of the simple things in life so a large enameled cast iron pot is all I need to make the world go around. This soup however can also be made in the slow cooker, crock pot or Instant pot if you prefer to go that route.
Without the Sausage, WFPB Recipe:
To make this soup as healthy as can be and whole foods plant based compliant all you need to do is replace the drizzle of olive oil with a splash of veggie stock, and the plant based sausage with your favorite mushrooms.
Think oyster or chanterelles, hen of the woods, shiitakes or simple button mushrooms will work too. For that authentic flavor that usually comes from the sausage seasonings just add a pinch of ground fennel and smoked paprika to your soup, works like magic!
What is Zuppa Toscana Anyway ?
Technically the translation really means “ Tuscan Soup “. The traditional recipe usually involves a mix of tomatoes, cannellini beans, carrots, celery and bread, a perfect example would be Ribollita. For an authentic Italian recipe try my Tuscan White Bean Kale Soup and Italian Pappa al Pomodoro also known as Tuscan bread soup.
The North American version made popular by the Olive Garden restaurant is made with Italian sausage with notes of fennel (use a cruelty free variety like Beyond Meat), red chili flakes, onion, garlic, potatoes, kale and cream (use a kind, dairy free alternative or just make the one in the recipe below).
The Potatoes:
You can use any potato you have on hand, the buttery golden potatoes would be the best choice as they don’t fall apart during cooking and give the soup a nice rustic texture.
The Kale:
Tuscan Lacinato kale is my go to, however any kale will do. Make sure to strip the leaves and discard the tough stems before adding it to the soup. Of course if you just aren’t a fan of kale at all feel free to use baby spinach or even broccoli florets instead.
The Cream:
I made a rich thick cream using quickly soaked raw cashews and water. You could opt for store bought coconut or almond milk instead, BUT if you prefer your soup to be thicker just blend about one tablespoon of tapioca into the plant milk before adding it to the soup.
P.S. If you make this recipe please come back here to rate it snap a photo and tag me with #VeggieSociety on Instagram, it always makes my day!
Watch How to Make Vegan Zuppa Toscana:
Vegan Zuppa Toscana Recipe
Easy vegan Zuppa Toscana recipe, lusciously creamy, naturally dairy free and gluten free, loaded with good for you Lacinato kale and comforting potatoes. One of the best homemade soups you’ll ever make with a WFPB fat free version option included.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 334kcal
Ingredients
- 3 links Beyond Meat Italian Sausage sliced (or 24 oz mushrooms)
- 2 lb golden potatoes sliced into 1/4 inch slices
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 7 cups vegetable stock
- 1/3 cup dry white wine or more stock
- 1 tsp olive oil optional
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 1 leaf bay
- 1 tsp red chili flakes or to taste
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 4 cups Lacinato kale chopped (sub with spinach or broccoli)
- 1 pinch ground fennel OPTIONAL
- sea salt to taste
Cashew Cream
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup filtered water
- 1/2 tbsp tapioca OPTIONAL
Instructions
Make the Cashew Cream:
- Start by soaking the cashews in hot water for 20 minutes while you prep your soup. Drain the soaked cashews then add them to a powerful blender together with one cup of filtered water and the tapioca. Blend until smooth and creamy. (The tapioca is totally optional, only use it if you prefer a thicker soup, it is very rich and creamy without it).
Make the Soup:
- Preheat a heavy bottom pot over medium flame. Add the olive oil and sausage and pan sear for a few minutes until golden brown. Transfer the sausage to a bowl and keep warm.
- Add the onion and red chili flakes to the sausage drippings and cook a few minutes until translucent. Stir in the garlic, cook until you can smell its fragrance then pour in the white wine.
- Use a flat wooden spoon and scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan until the wine has evaporated.
- Add the sliced potatoes, thyme, bay leaf and smoked paprika then pour in the veggie stock. Bring to a simmer, add the nutritional yeast and a pinch of sea salt. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until the potatoes have softened but still hold their shape. Check after 5 minutes and keep a close eye on them.
- A couple of minutes before the potatoes are ready add the chopped kale. Give everything a good stir then mix in the cashew cream. Simmer another minute or so until the kale has wilted and the soup is creamy.
- Add the cooked Beyond sausage back into the soup, adjust seasonings and serve hot with freshly cracked black pepper on top.
WFPB Method:
- To make this Zuppa Toscana whole food plant based compliant simply replace the olive oil with a splash of veggie stock and the Beyond sausage with 24 oz of your favorite mushrooms. Add a pinch of ground fennel to make up for the authentic Italian sausage flavor.
Instant Pot Method:
- Set your Instant Pot to the high sauté setting. Add the olive oil and Beyond sausage slices and sautee a few minutes until golden brown. Add the onion and red chili flakes and continue cooking until the onion is translucent. Pour in the white wine and scrape all the little brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook until the wine has evaporated.
- Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, thyme and smoked paprika.
- Add the sliced potatoes, veggie stock and nutritional yeast.
- Select manual setting, adjust pressure to high and set time for 4 minutes. Once finished cooking quick-release pressure according to the Instant Pot manufacturer’s instructions.
- Meanwhile prepare the cashew cream then add it to the soup together with the kale. Cook one or two minutes until the kale has wilted.
- Adjusting seasonings to taste with sea salt and black pepper and serve.
Notes
- To make this soup lower in calorie you can use a mix of golden potatoes and cauliflower florets.
- If you prefer your soup thicker make sure to mix 1 tablespoon of tapioca with the cashew cream or whatever plant based milk you decide to use here.
Nutrition
Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 331mg | Potassium: 995mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1700IU | Vitamin C: 37.7mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 16.5mg
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The best soup I’ve ever had and I made it myself. Might want to add more salt at the end if you are used to a saltier diet but really you won’t even want to share with your kids and it packs so much kale in it I feel great about eating it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was super simple and super delicous!!!!
So happy you loved the soup Terri 🙂
Just made this tonight, so far it’s the best recipe I’ve found for vegan Zuppa Toscana! Thank you! My boyfriend had seconds. And I love the cashew cream. It’s the perfect addition as opposed to soy milk which I’ve used before. Yummy!
This makes me so happy Lisa! So glad you guys enjoyed it so much, definitely one of my most favorite and most requested recipes on the blog and in real life. ~ Florentina Xo’s
This recipe was amazing! I doubled it and was able to feed 9 people generously and have leftovers. I changed it by using flaxmilk and coconut milk as the creamy substance and I added in some red lentils to thicken the soup instead of tapioca powder. I did not have any fennel so I added some caraway seeds to add a little more flavor. I used red kale since it was on sale.
Everyone loved even the self proclaimed carnivores.
Highly recommend!
I am so excited you all loved it and so impressed you took the liberty to tweak the recipe and make it your own with the lentils and caraway. Sounds divine!
Can you use a dairy free heavy cream instead? I found a coconut heavy cream, but just making sure you think it would still give the soup the same consistency as your homemade cream
You definitely could, just know that coconut will alter the flavor. It’s still very nice bit only if you like coconut of course 🙂
This was delicious! I made it without tapioca and I used fresh broccoli instead of kale and added an additional tsp of crushed pepper. This is a family keeper! Thank you for this awesome recipe.
So happy you loved it Karen 🙂
This was incredibly delicious! So flavorful and complex, I can’t wait to have it again for lunch tomorrow.
This is my favorite plant based recipe to date. I am so impressed with the flavors and richness. I am completely shocked I just made this – truly. I followed it almost exactly, except subbed 1 of the sausages with mushrooms and instead of mixing the cashews with 1 cup of water, I used 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup coconut milk. I also didnt have tyme or fennel so I just used basil and parsley but holy cow still SO good!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you! <3
I’m beyond excited you loved this soup so much Brittni! Hope you’ll try more of the recipes here and find a few favorites ~ Florentina Xo’s
Delicious!!! I used Ripple half and half for the cream and Not Chick’n bouillon cubes with veggie broth and water.
So happy you loved it!
This recipe turned out AMAZING! I posted on my Instagram and my FB cooking page. I HAD to share your recipe! Thank you so much!
So happy you loved it! Thanks for coming back to review it 🙂
Hi, this looks amazing! I would like to double the amount and freeze half for another time. Any idea if it freezes well?
Yes, you can definitely freeze it, make sure to thaw out in the refrigerator before reheating.
Florentine, this soup is devine! Thank you for sharing your recipe! This is probably my favorite soup I have ever made. I could tell just from looking at the photos that this would be a tasty soup and I was right. My wife and I gobbled it down with some toasted garlic bread and ate every last drop! I used unsweetened plain almond milk mixed with tapioca flour and a few tablespoons of Tofutti sour cream to make it creamy because I didn’t feel like fussing with cashews and a blender.
Sorry, autocorrect spelled your name wrong. I meant to day Florentina!
Haha, it happens all the time, even I do it sometimes 😉
Woohoo, I’m so beyond happy you all loved it. Can’t beat creamy soups in November, gotta make a few more variations now ~ Florentina Xo’s
This recipe is amazing. A friend of mine sent it to me back in March, and I came across it on Pinterest a few days ago. Mine wasn’t vegan (Bc men 🙄) so I swapped for chicken sausage, almond milk & turkey bacon. That touch of spice cut perfectly. I definitely want to try this vegan version, but I had to come back to let you know I tried it and really liked it. I posted a picture of it on my Instagram if you’d like to see it since I can’t add a picture here (@chefgrlyan) 🥰
Hey, so happy you love it! If you use the Italian vegan sausage from Beyond Meat nobody will know the difference. I also made it for men (the Game Changer work out types) and nobody even asked if someone died for that soup haha. Also so much healthier this way, i really encourage you to try it! ~ Florentina Xo’s
Made this amazing soup right after I got home from work for my Friendsgiving party for co workers. Easy and absolutely delicious. It was done in no time. I served it with warm brioche buns. Zero leftovers. That says it all. Thank you Florentina. Happy Thanksgiving.
I don’t see the directions for the Crock-Pot how long would you cook it and do you just throw everything in? And in any kill right at the end?
You can brown the Beyond sausage and reserve to add back in before serving. Throw everything else in the crockpot except the cream and kale and cook on slow for 5-6 hours. Add the cream and kale and cook until the kale is wilted. Add the Beyond sausage and enjoy!
Very good! I used to make the meat and dairy version years ago, and forgot about it. It’s so good! I did a few tweaks, in case anyone is interested. (Originally I cooked up the 3 sausages and had them on a plate, but then my mother kept walking over and eating it saying how amazing it was… so I decided to cook up the 4th sausage) I used all 4 BB sausages, added about a half a head of cauliflower at the same time as potatoes, and used 8 cups of broth, and Trader Joe’s coconut creamer. Had to add more paprika and some cayenne.. and it turned out exactly how I like it!
AMAZING RECIPE! The only changes I made were: I used russet potatoes and a rosemary/thyme blend because that’s what I had frozen. Before going vegan 3 years ago, I always ordered the Zuppa Toscana from Olive Garden… this is WAY better than I remember it tasting. Thank you so much for bringing this recipe to life. My omnivorous husband and mother-in-law loved it. Next to taste test is my mom. I’m 100% sure she will love it. And I will definitely be making this again!!
You have no idea how this comment made my day! So happy you all loved it ~ Florentina
Update: My mom loves the soup!! She asked me for the recipe so she could make it for her and my dad. AMAZING RECIPE! I will be sharing this with everyone!
That’s so wonderful Bianca! Thanks for reporting back, hope you’ll find many more recipes you’ll love here. Happy New Year! ~ Florentina Xo’s
Super excellent! We absolutely love this soup. It is the best soup I have ever made. Thank you so much, Florentina!
Woohoo! That’s awesome Linda, I’m beyond happy that you loved it so much ~ Florentina Xo’s
I have not made this yet. I am so excited to find this recipe. My husband and I are on a low fat new lifestyle. Can’t wait to try this. Thank you.
I loved making this recipe so much that I dream about making it again 🤤 so delicious. Easy to make and has common ingredients. I subbed the cashew cream for coconut milk (from the can) with good results to make it a little cheaper. I am making this again tonight!
This makes me so happy! Happy New Year Jill! ~ Florentina Xo’s
Delicious and easy to make ! The whole family loved it! Great for kids 🙂
I LOVE this recipe but was wondering if it holds up ok with the cashew cream if I make it a day or two prior ? I’m having a party and don’t have time to make it that day. Thoughts? Didn’t want it to “break” so to speak.
Yes it does since there is no dairy at all the consistency stays the same, you could even freeze it for later if you wanted to. Enjoy!
Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe, Florentina!
My whole family loved it, and I can’t wait to make it again.
The only change was that I slightly reduce the amount of potatoes and added 2 large sliced carrots for additional veggies.