• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Cadry's Kitchen
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Newsletter
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Creamy gnocchi soup with sausage & kale (vegan)

    Published: Jan 26, 2020 · Modified: May 4, 2021 by Cadry Nelson
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see my Privacy Policy for more details.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Text overlay: Creamy gnocchi soup with vegan sausage & kale. Red bowl of soup with colorful napkin.

    Creamy gnocchi soup recipe is hearty, warming, and cozy. It’s loaded with pillowy potato dumplings, savory vegan sausage, softened kale, and a luxurious cashew broth.

    Hands holding bowl of soup.

    Inspiration sometimes comes from unlikely places.

    Take this creamy gnocchi soup. I got the idea for it from a grocery store ad.

    They had a non-vegan soup recipe with sausage, kale, heavy cream, and gnocchi dropped right into the pot. I didn’t follow their recipe at all. But the idea of bringing those foods together – in plant-based form – sounded like a delicious combo.

    And I was right!

    This soup is maximum coziness. With a velvety cashew cream base, softened curly kale, savory sausage, and pillowy gnocchi, it’s hearty & comforting all at once.

    Overhead spoon holding gnocchi, kale, and sausage over bowl.

    What is gnocchi?

    It is an Italian potato dumpling that’s typically used like pasta.

    Is gnocchi vegan?

    No and yes.

    Homemade gnocchi is usually not vegan. It’s typically made with potato, flour, and egg.

    However, it’s not hard to make a vegan version at home. I have done it a few times using a recipe in Vegan with a Vengeance.

    Luckily, this easy gnocchi soup recipe uses the packaged variety! No dough making necessary.

    It’s pretty easy to find shelf stable gnocchi that’s vegan. Just read the ingredients. Rising Moon also sells frozen gnocchi that’s vegan.

    The magic of roasted gnocchi

    To cook gnocchi, it only has to be boiled. (And it’s much quicker cooking than most types of pasta!)

    But for added texture, I love roasting it afterwards. It becomes a little crusty around the edges and has added bite. (When basil is in season, it’s delicious with almond pesto.)

    Roasted gnocchi is also really nice in this soup, because it gives added oomph. It almost acts as a soft crouton.

    If you’re short on time, though, roasting isn’t essential. You can just drop the shelf-stable potato dumplings into the soup pot during the last five minutes of cooking to heat them. They will obviously be a lot softer, but the flavors are still exceptional.

    (I haven’t tried dropping the frozen variety into the soup. Because of the temperature differences, it may require a longer amount of time.)

    Beyond Meat sausages in the freezer at the grocery store.

    What kind of sausage should I use?

    There are loads of plant-based sausages on the market that would be terrific in this soup.

    I used Beyond Meat hot Italian. You can find it with other vegan meats in the refrigerated section at natural grocery stores. Or sometimes it’s kept in the frozen section.

    A Beyond Meat brat would also work. Field Roast apple sage or Italian would be good here. Or Herbivorous Butcher garlic sausage like I used in my vegan risotto would be delightful.

    I like to keep Beyond Meat sausages in the freezer, right in their package, with a freezer bag around it. Then whenever I want one for pasta, soup, air fryer stuffed peppers, or pizza, I remove one sausage. I quickly bring it to temperature using the thaw function on the microwave.

    It’s so handy. And it makes the sausages really last.

    For this recipe, one sausage link, like you’d put in a hot dog bun, serves two people as a meal.

    How to make this recipe

    Gnocchi floating to the top in a pot of boiling water.

    Start on the roasted gnocchi

    Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring water to a boil in a pot. Then add gnocchi to it.

    After a couple minutes, they will float to the top. Drain.

    Drained gnocchi drying on a clean towel.

    Then move them to a clean kitchen towel to dry. Like all foods, gnocchi doesn’t roast as nicely if it’s wet.

    Roasted gnocchi on a parchment paper covered baking sheet for gnocchi soup recipe.

    Put it on a parchment paper covered baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and roast for 10 minutes, stopping once to flip.

    Move on to the cashew cream

    In a high speed blender, combine ¼ cup raw cashews with ½ cup water. Blend until totally smooth. Then set aside.

    (If you don’t have a high-speed blender, check out alternative directions in the notes section of the recipe box!)

    Beyond Meat hot Italian sausage browning in soup pot.

    Now it’s time to start on the soup itself!

    Add a little oil to a soup pot along with slices of vegan sausage. Break up the sausage as you cook it.

    Onions & garlic in soup pot with Beyond Meat hot Italian sausage.

    Add onions & garlic to the pot. Sauté for a few minutes until translucent and fragrant.

    Add dried basil, dried oregano, and granulated onion. Sauté for a minute more.

    Add water & bouillon. Then bring to a simmer.

    Curly kale in gnocchi soup recipe with vegan sausage, onion, and garlic.

    Add curly kale to the pot.

    It will look like a lot of kale at first. But it will quickly wilt as it comes into contact with the warm broth.

    Cashew cream in soup pot with kale, sausage, onions, and garlic.

    Add reserved cashew cream. Then let all of the flavors intertwine.

    Just before serving, add roasted gnocchi, salt, and pepper to the soup. 

    Hands holding red bowl of soup.

    Can I reheat this soup?

    Yes, it reheats nicely. However, the roasted gnocchi will continue to soak up & soften in the liquid over time. 

    Close-up soup spoon with gnocchi, vegan sausage, and kale.

    Red bowl of soup with floral napkin.

    Red bowl with gnocchi soup by napkin on table.

    Creamy gnocchi soup with vegan sausage & kale

    Warming & fragrant, this satisfying soup is the definition of cozy. It's packed with curly kale, veggie sausage, and roasted gnocchi. (Want to skip a step? You can warm the shelf-stable gnocchi right in the soup pot instead. Look for the directions in the "notes" section below.)
    Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as a starter. Nutrition & calorie info is for a meal-sized portion.
    5 from 8 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: Italian, Vegan
    Keyword: comfort food, winter food
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 35 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 2 people
    Calories: 426kcal
    Author: Cadry Nelson

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup gnocchi from shelf stable package
    • 1 ½ teaspoons organic canola oil divided
    • 2 ½ cups water divided (plus extra for boiling gnocchi)
    • ¼ cup raw cashews
    • 1 veggie sausage sliced. I use a Beyond Meat hot Italian sausage link (roughly 3 ounces of sausage)
    • ¾ cup chopped yellow onion
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • ½ teaspoon dried basil
    • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
    • ½ teaspoon granulated onion
    • 1 teaspoon Better Than Bouillon, no chicken base or vegetable bouillon cube
    • 3 packed cups chopped curly kale About 3-4 large leaves, with ribs removed
    • Pinch salt or to taste
    • Pinch pepper or to taste

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    • Fill a medium sized pot with water, and bring to a boil. Add gnocchi* to pot. Boil for a couple minutes, until the gnocchi rises to the top of the pot. Drain in a colander. Then move the gnocchi to a clean kitchen towel to dry. (It roasts better when it's dry.)
      Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Then lay the gnocchi on it and drizzle with ½ teaspoon oil. Spread the gnocchi evenly across the baking sheet. Then move to the oven. Roast for 10 minutes, stopping once to flip. Once it has finished cooking, remove from the oven & set aside.
    • While the gnocchi roasts, continue with the recipe. First, make the cashew cream. In a high speed blender,** blend ½ cup water with ¼ cup raw cashews until completely smooth. (Stop and scrape down the sides if needed.) Set aside to use later.
    • Bring a soup pot to a medium heat with remaining teaspoon of oil. Add sausage pieces to pot & brown them. As they cook, break the pieces up with your spatula.
    • Once the sausage pieces are browned & a little crisp around the edges, add onions and garlic.**** Saute for a few minutes, until they onions are translucent and fragrant.
    • Add dried basil, dried oregano, and granulated onion. Saute for a minute more.
    • Add remaining 2 cups of water to the pot & Better Than Bouillon or your preferred bouillon. Stir the soup & use a spoon to pick up any remaining bits of sausage stuck to the inside of the pot. Bring the water to a simmer.
    • Put the chopped kale into the pot. It will look like a lot of kale, but it will quickly wilt as it comes into contact with the hot liquid. It should be even with the liquid in a few minutes.
    • Finally, add the cashew cream to the pot. Stir to evenly combine. Cook for 5 more minutes while the flavors intertwine.
    • Just before serving, add the roasted gnocchi to the soup pot. Add a pinch of salt & pepper (or more to taste).

    Notes

    *Be sure to read the ingredients for your gnocchi. Many shelf stable varieties are vegan, but some contain eggs.
    **If you don't have a high speed blender, grind dry raw cashews in a coffee grinder until they're like a flour. Then move them to the blender with water to blend completely. If you don't have a coffee grinder, then you'll need to soak the raw cashews in water for several hours until they have softened. Otherwise, it will be hard for them to become completely smooth in a standard blender. Once they have softened, drain & move them to the blender and continue with recipe.
    ***I used one Beyond Meat hot Italian sausage link for this recipe. However, feel free to use the veggie sausage of your choice. Field Roast apple sage or Herbivorous Butcher garlic sausages would also be very good.
    ****If you'd like to keep the sausage really crispy, remove it from the soup pot before adding the onions & garlic. Then add it back into the soup with the roasted gnocchi. Otherwise, you can keep it in, as directed in the recipe, and it will continue adding flavor to the soup.
    Roasting gnocchi makes a firmer texture that holds up nicely in the soup. However, if you're short on time or just want to skip a step, you can heat it in the soup pot instead. It will have a softer texture, but the flavor is still very nice. To warm gnocchi in soup pot, don't boil it separately first. Simply add it to the pot during the last five minutes of cooking (when you add the cashew cream). Note that this is for gnocchi in shelf stable packaging. I haven't tried adding frozen gnocchi to the soup pot. That may require a longer cooking time to get up to the correct temperature.
    For this recipe, it’s one cup of gnocchi for two people. If you’d like to triple the recipe, you can use the entire package 16 ounce package of shelf-stable gnocchi. Otherwise, save the remaining gnocchi for later in the refrigerator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 426kcal | Carbohydrates: 60g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 717mg | Potassium: 288mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 15mg
    Tried this recipe?Tag @cadryskitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #cadryskitchen!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    About Cadry Nelson

    Cadry Nelson is the writer, photographer, and recipe creator behind Cadry’s Kitchen, a vegan food & lifestyle blog started in 2009. Through approachable recipes, vegan travel guides, and down-to-earth discussions on the social aspects of being vegan, Cadry shows that living a vegan lifestyle is deliciously uncomplicated. Cadry has been featured on NBC News, Mashable, Today, Reader's Digest, Yahoo, Delish, Shape, and Huffington Post.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Doug

      January 26, 2020 at 7:28 pm

      Looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 27, 2020 at 11:32 am

        Thanks, Doug! I think you’re going to love it!

        Reply
    2. Carrie

      January 30, 2020 at 9:46 pm

      5 stars
      Love your recipes and also all of your interesting observations and personal additions!!!!! You are one talented (and compassionate) writer!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 31, 2020 at 8:28 am

        That really warms my heart, Carrie! Thank you so much!

        Reply
    3. Angela Butler

      February 09, 2020 at 6:51 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious! I doubled the recipe so have some yummy leftovers!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        February 10, 2020 at 5:24 am

        I’m so delighted to hear that, Angela! Thank you for the wonderful feedback. Enjoy your leftovers!

        Reply
    4. Sharon Doak

      February 18, 2020 at 8:52 pm

      5 stars
      Cadry, I made this tonight and it was fabulous!! I used 2 sausages instead of one and next time I will airfry them because I thought a lot of grease came out of them. I used the Beyond Meat hot Italian sausages. I also added about 1/2 cup additional veggie broth. The flavor was wonderful and I really enjoyed the gnocchi and kale with the sausages in a creamy broth! Winner recipe!!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        February 19, 2020 at 7:11 am

        I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup, Sharon! Thank you for letting me know!

        Reply
    5. Susan

      July 26, 2020 at 4:15 am

      5 stars
      Made a triple batch of this to use a whole packet of gnocchi. So savoury and delicious, and I loved the roasted gnocchi l. Turns out roasted gnocchi is also great to snack on! I used baby spinach instead of kale, and apple sage Field Roast sausages.

      Reply
      • Cadry

        July 28, 2020 at 4:04 pm

        Yay! I’m so glad to hear it, Susan. It’s fun to see you enjoying my cold weather recipes right now while it’s winter on your side of the world.

        Reply
    6. Katherine

      January 20, 2021 at 2:17 pm

      5 stars
      I also made a triple batch of this soup! Just barely enough IMO! Haha. So delicious and comforting! I used Tofurkey Italian sausage. I like Beyond Meat sausage ok, but find them too greasy. Perfect winter soup, I love the gnocchi! Thanks for this recipe, it’s going into my regular rotation for sure 😊

      Reply
      • Cadry

        January 21, 2021 at 4:59 pm

        I’m so glad that you enjoyed the soup! Good call on the Tofurky. I really like Beyond Meat, but it’s definitely the oiliest of vegan sausages. Thank you for the terrific feedback!

        Reply
    7. Jenna

      April 19, 2021 at 5:49 pm

      5 stars
      This was absolutely incredible, the flavour was so good and it was so filling. Sharing this recipe with every human I know!

      Reply
      • Cadry

        April 22, 2021 at 9:28 am

        Aw, that makes my day! Thank you for letting me know. I’m really glad you enjoyed it.

        Reply
    8. Sonya

      November 17, 2021 at 10:23 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is BOMB! Rarely comment on recipes but I’m certifiably obsessed with this soup. I doubled it and it was perfect for 2 tall people with big appetites. Roasting the gnocchi was game-changing.

      Reply
      • Cadry Nelson

        November 21, 2021 at 8:02 am

        I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying it, Sonya! Thank you for the great feedback!

        Reply
    9. Noel

      December 01, 2021 at 11:27 pm

      Could I use cauliflower gnocchi?

      Reply
      • Cadry Nelson

        December 02, 2021 at 6:49 am

        Yes, you could use cauliflower gnocchi. But I wouldn’t boil it first before roasting. It is softer than flour-based gnocchi, and it can get a little mushy if overworked. So I’d heat the oven to 425 degrees (instead of 400), put frozen gnocchi straight onto a parchment paper covered baking sheet, spray or toss with oil, and then roast for 20 minutes. Stop halfway through to flip.

        Or if you have an air fryer, you could air fry at 400 degrees for 10 minutes, stopping to shake the basket halfway through.

        Let me know how it goes!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Cadry!

    I’m a longtime vegan. (15 years!) But I grew up eating a Standard American Diet. I know that all of us crave foods that are familiar, comforting, and delicious.

    That’s why it’s my passion to share mouthwatering plant-based recipes that taste like home.

    More about me →

    Summer recipes

    • Irresistible dill pickle hummus
    • Green salad with blood oranges & peanut dressing
    • Tangy peanut salad dressing (vegan)
    • Buffalo hummus with vegan blue cheese

    Salads

    • Easy tahini dressing for salads, bowls, or falafel (vegan)
    • Balsamic vinaigrette dressing (Just 5 ingredients!)
    • Vegan chef salad with seitan & avocado
    • Israeli couscous salad with olives & artichokes

    Summer cookout

    • Tofu satay with peanut sauce (air fryer, baked, or grilled)
    • BBQ jackfruit sandwiches
    • Bowtie pasta salad with chickpeas & artichokes
    • Vegan pasta salad with creamy mayo dressing
    Logos for sites where Cadry Nelson & Cadry's Kitchen have been featured.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Meet Cadry
    • Work with me

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2022 Cadry's Kitchen