Vegan Zuppa Toscana Recipe
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Best Vegan Zuppa Toscana recipe, lusciously creamy, naturally dairy free and gluten free, one pot, easy to make, loaded with good for you Lacinato kale and comforting potatoes. One of the most delicious homemade soups you’ll ever make with a WFPB fat free option included.
Vegan Zuppa Toscana
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 Vegan Zuppa Toscana with you already. I have a feeling you’ll also be enjoying it all year long as we do.
Think of it as a fancy pure vegetarian copycat recipe of the famous Olive Garden soup but with a healthy twist, including an oil free whole foods plant based option. We all know that everything is better when it’s homemade and even better when it’s also cruelty free.
Better than the Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana
- This recipe features the incredible plant based Italian sausage from Beyond Meat. It’s pan seared in a little drizzle of olive oil the 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 my kitchen 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.
Make it Without the Sausage – WFPB Recipe
To make this soup as healthy as can be and fully whole foods plant based compliant, all you need to do is replace the olive oil with a splash of veggie stock and the 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, in essence a Ribollita. For an authentic Italian recipe try my Tuscan White Bean Kale Soup and Italian Pappa al Poomodoro also known as Tuscan bread soup.
- The North American version made popular by the Olive Garden restaurant is made with Italian sausage seasoned with fennel, (use a cruelty free sausage like Beyond Meat), red chili flakes, onion, garlic, potatoes, kale and cream (make the dairy free cream recipe below or use a store bought kind alternative).
About the Potatoes
You can use any potato you have on hand, the buttery Yukon gold 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 here, however any kale will do really. Make sure to strip the leaves and discard the tough stems before adding it o the soup. Of course if you aren’t a fan of kale at all feel free to use baby spinach, chard or even small broccoli florets instead.
The Cream
I made a rich thick cream using quick soaked raw cashews and water. You could opt for store bought dairy free cream or full fat coconut, almond or cashew milk instead. If you prefer your soup on the thicker side just blend one tablespoon of tapioca into the plant milk of your choosing before adding it to the soup.
FAQ
- Is there a substitute for white wine? You can just use a splash of veggie stock instead.
- Will my soup taste like coconut If I use coconut milk? Yes, doesn’t matter what anyone says, coconut milk has a rich flavor and it will affect the taste. Just use the cashew cream recipe below instead, it’s super creamy and easy to make in your blender.
- How long does the Zuppa last? You can store any leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days or freeze in lidded containers up to 3 months.
- Love potatoes? Make sure to try this potato pizza, paprika potatoes , dill potato salad, potato mushroom soup + our divine scalloped potatoes.
How to Make the Best Vegan Zuppa Toscana
P.S. If you make this recipe please report back with a comment rating below!
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.
Print Recipe
Equipment
- Cast Iron Pot
- Instant Pot
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 tsp fennel seeds (OPTIONAL but so good)
- 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).1 cup raw cashews, 1 cup filtered water, 1/2 tbsp tapioca
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.3 links Beyond Meat Italian Sausage, 1 tsp olive oil
- 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.1 yellow onion, 6 cloves garlic, 1 tsp red chili flakes, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1/3 cup dry white wine
- 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.2 lb golden potatoes, 7 cups vegetable stock, 5 sprigs thyme, 1 leaf bay, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 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.4 cups Lacinato kale
- Add the cooked Beyond sausage back into the soup, adjust seasonings and serve hot with freshly cracked black pepper on top. (if not serving it all at once then just serve the sausage in individual bowls on top to prevent sogging).3 links Beyond Meat Italian Sausage
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.
Video
Notes
- Low Calorie Option - To make this soup lower in calorie you can use a mix of golden potatoes and cauliflower florets.
- Thicker - 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
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 334kcal
Wow, this recipe nailed it. Thank you, Florentina! I just finished a big bowl and I feel so nourished and content. I’ve been in bed sick for a couple days and had all the ingredients in my fridge to make this. I finally felt well enough tonight to do it. I added some fresh diced fennel with the onion and it was perfection. Thank you!
So happy you enjoyed it! Be well friend ~ Florentina Xo’s
This soup is absolutely amazing! Thank you for the recipe. I made 1/3 of a batch but kept ratios (mostly) the same. (I ALWAYS add more garlic!) I subbed gnocchi for the potatoes – added it near the end with the kale. I did skip the tapioca as I’m pretty familiar with cashew cream as a soup addition and I didn’t need it thicker. I did add the fennel as I really like the flavor of it. Finally, I used dried thyme, because that’s what I had on hand. This was very easy and fairly quick to put together. Thank you again for the recipe! 🙂
We absolutely love this soup and it is on our regular rotation of meals! There are only two of us and we always have leftovers. The only problem I have had is the Beyond sausage, which we love and use in other recipes, gets mushy and very unappetizing when the soup we don’t eat the day I make it sits in the refrigerator. I’ve even cut the recipe in half. Has anyone ever had this problem? I was thinking of keeping the sausage separate and adding it as we eat it. Any suggestions?
Robyn, If you are not going to serve all the soup at once then I always suggest to reserve the pan seared sausage to reheat and serve on top of the soup.
Sooo good! And creamy!!
I have not made this YET, but I plan on very soon probably tonight. Although I’m going to try and make the cream with sunflowers instead of cashews Boyfriend is allergic to nuts. So I will let you know how it turns out. Thank you for sharing!
This soup is insanely delicious! The best soup I’ve ever made, and I’ve made lots of soup during my lifetime! I cut back the potatoes a little and threw in a can of butter beans. Didn’t have any B.M. sausages on hand so put some fennel seeds in the blender with the cashews, water, and tapioca flour. So fast, easy, and comforting. Love it! Thank you, Florentina, for your good work!
I usually just puree some of the potatoes to create a creaminess and it works like a charm. No need for a nut milk if anyone’s allergic.
Made this tonight for dinner using spicy Impossible bulk sausage and your cashew cream. It’s absolutely delicious!
Made this last night. It’s super yummy!
Hello Florentina!
I have made this soup probably twenty times and every time it is a deliciously delightful experience. This is hands-down my favorite vegan soup. I have made it for so many people and everyone loves it. It is a great hit! Thank you for sharing your amazing recipes. Your website is the best vegan cooking site on the web! I am going to make it a goal to try everything!
Thank you so much Cheryl, you have totally made my week with your comments. So happy you loved the soup! ~ Florentina Xo’s
I made this last night- soooooo delicious! All my meat eaters enjoyed it too!
This recipe is so good! It’s now my go-to meal to prepare when we have friends and family come over in the colder months. It’s easy, foolproof and everyone has consistently loved it as much as we do! I’ve even doubled the recipe with success for larger groups. I don’t typically leave recipe reviews but I feel like I must given how often I now make this soup!
This is excellent. We added carrots, celery, parsley and miso instead of veggie broth. Used both BM sausage and mushrooms. The best potato soup!! I want to share it to facebook but I don’t see a button. Thank you!!!
So tasty! We just had some vegan Tuscan potato sausage soup at a restaurant and loved it so i went looking for a close approximation. Bookmarking this and will make it again and again.
I could tell from the comments and the recipe that we’d love so I doubled the batch. A couple of tweaks along the way:
I had cooked leeks from our garden on hand that I had already sauteed so I used those in place of the onions.
Added 3 stalks of celery at the onion step.
Added 2 chopped carrots at the potato step.
With those two additions I cut back a little on potatoes–my big pot was full.
Had some fennel pesto I made last fall (great use of the leaves and stalks! https://holycowvegan.net/fennel-fronds-pesto/) and threw in a bit of that. I freeze it in my mini-muffin pan to use on pastas, rice, and for this kind of thing where I want a touch of fennel flavor. It’s milder than the ground seeds.
I didn’t double the crushed red pepper and only increased the paprika to 1-1/2 t. and I’m glad I didn’t go any hotter. Tough to undo pepperiness so those who have tender taste buds may want to start with less than the recipe calls for, taste and adjust.
I used a power greens mix I had on hand in place of the kale.
A note on cooking time: I cut the potatoes into small cubes, which is my favorite shape for them in soup. I’ve never had them go all the way to soft in 5-10 minutes and sure enough, this needs a longer cooking time, at least at my house. I used a combination of Yukon Gold and red potatoes.
Thanks for the recipe!
We’re not vegan, but I’ve done a fair amount of vegan and WFPB cooking, and I’m thrilled to add another amazing soup to the repertoire. I think that this is actually tastier than the non-vegan original. I reduced the onion and the red pepper for personal taste, but otherwise followed the recipe. Delicious!
I am so happy you enjoyed it so much and thank you for reporting back! I must agree: definitely “tastier than the non-vegan original” ~ Florentina Xo’s