Creamy vegan gnocchi soup is hearty, warming, and cozy.
It’s loaded with pillowy potato dumplings, savory vegan sausage, softened kale, and a luxurious cashew broth.
Creamy vegan gnocchi 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.
It’s the kind of food that makes you want to curl up inside of a bowl on a chilly day.
- Roasted gnocchi adds texture and satisfying carbs
- Veggie sausage is toothsome and savory
- Creamy cashew broth adds luxurious body
- Kale adds bite & a hit of good-for-you nutrients
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 easy to find packaged vegan gnocchi in stores.
Plus, you get the bonus of not having to make it from scratch!
Look for packaged gnocchi in the center aisles of the grocery store by other types of pasta.
Sometimes you’ll also find it in the frozen section.
Just read the ingredients, of course.
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.
Roasted gnocchi is also really nice in this soup, because it gives added oomph.
It almost acts as a soft crouton.
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.
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.
(I give other vegan sausage options below in the “make it your own” section.)
Step by step instructions
Here’s how to make this recipe at a glance. For complete ingredient amounts & instructions, keep scrolling to the recipe card below.
Boil gnocchi in water until it floats to the top.
Drain & dry gnocchi on a clean kitchen towel. (It doesn’t roast as nicely if it’s wet.)
Put gnocchi on a parchment paper covered baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and roast for 10 minutes in the oven, stopping once to flip.
While the gnocchi roasts, make cashew cream.
In a high-speed blender, combine water with raw cashews until 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!)
Brown slices of vegan sausage in a pot with oil.
Once browned, add onions & garlic to the pot.
Sauté for a few minutes until the onions are translucent and fragrant.
Add seasonings:
- Dried basil
- Dried oregano
- Granulated onion
Sauté for a minute more.
Add water & bouillon. Then bring to a simmer.
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.
Add reserved cashew cream. Then let all of the flavors intertwine.
Just before serving, add roasted gnocchi, salt, and pepper to the soup.
Make it your own
You can make this soup your own by varying the cooking methods and/or ingredients.
Cook gnocchi in the soup
If you’re short on time, roasting the gnocchi 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.
Vary the sausage
There are loads of vegan sausages on the market. I used Beyond hot Italian sausage.
However, you could go with any veggie sausage you like.
Impossible sausage or Field Roast apple sage sausage would both be good here.
Prefer a whole foods option? Use Great Northern beans or cannellini beans instead. Sauté the onions & garlic on their own. Then add the beans with the kale.
Replace the kale
If you don’t like kale, replace it with any dark leafy green you like or other sturdy vegetable.
Collard greens or broccoli would work well here.
If you opt for spinach, I recommend adding it at the same time as the roasted gnocchi. Spinach wilts in seconds in hot liquid.
Storage instructions
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for 3 or 4 days.
The cashew cream may separate a little in the refrigerator. Just give it a stir while reheating.
Reheat the soup in a pot on the stove, or in the microwave.
If the soup has thickened a lot, add another splash of water to bring it to your preferred viscosity.
Be aware that the roasted gnocchi will continue to soak up & soften in the liquid over time. So they will be less toothsome after some time in the fridge.
📖 Recipe
Creamy vegan gnocchi soup with sausage and kale
Ingredients
- 1 cup gnocchi from shelf stable package
- 1 ½ teaspoons avocado oil divided, or your preferred oil
- 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 of salt or to taste
- Pinch of 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).
Earlene Giglierano
Excellent recipe for a cozy night at home. I tripled the recipe using 3 beyond burger Pattie’s that I seasoned with Italian sausage seasoning, A great way to get in some greens too. My gnocchi was vegan and gluten free.
Cadry Nelson
Yum! That sounds delicious, Earlene! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Janie
I’ve made this twice. Most recently over the holidays and it was a huge hit!! I used Beyond ground beef as I’m not a huge sausage fan. I was told it tasted similar to Olive Garden’s zuppa toscana! The cashew cream really makes it!
I do wish the recipe defaulted to a serving of 4 or 6. I don’t think maybe people would make 2 servings. It’s just too delicious. I was making it for 12 servings so got a little confusing but I made it work. THANK YOU!!
Cadry Nelson
Thank you for the great feedback, Janie! I’m so glad you & your guests enjoyed the soup. I’ve never had Olive Garden’s zuppa toscana, so that’s good to know!
That’s a good point about the default serving amount. Maybe I’ll switch it to use one package of gnocchi instead of a partial package. In the meantime, you may not be aware that the recipe card is adjustable. Just hover over the serving amount, and you’ll see a scroll bar. You can move it up & down to how many people you’re serving. And the ingredient amounts will adjust accordingly! It’s a pretty cool feature. It will go up to 20 people.
(The only thing I’d change in the adjustable amounts is the oil. You surely won’t need that much.)
Thanks again!
Stacy Grossman
What vegan cream can I use in place of cashew cream? My family has to avoid nuts, but the soup sounds delicious and we would love to try it!
Cadry Nelson
Thanks, Stacy! I’m glad you think it sounds delicious.
Here are some substitution ideas:
* Use 1/2 cup of unsweetened non-dairy creamer like oat or soy.
* Use 1/2 cup of your preferred non-dairy milk. Since that’s a little thinner than cashew cream, you could make a slurry of flour & milk to thicken it like a roux, if necessary.
* You could blend 1/2 cup water with 1/4 cup silken tofu, roasted cauliflower, or Great Northern beans.
I haven’t tried these substitutions, but they seem like they would work. Let me know if you make it!
Janie
I’ve made this twice, most recently over the holidays and it was a huge hit both times!! I was told it tasted similar to Olive Garden’s zuppa toscana! The cashew cream really makes it! I don’t love sausage so I used Beyond ground beef and that worked well.
For ease, I wish the recipe defaulted to a serving of 6. I don’t think many people could make only 2 servings as it’s just too delicious for that! I was making it for 12 servings and confused myself a little but it all worked out great. THANK YOU!!
Noel
Could I use cauliflower gnocchi?
Cadry Nelson
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!
Sonya
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.
Cadry Nelson
I’m so happy to hear you’re enjoying it, Sonya! Thank you for the great feedback!
Jenna
This was absolutely incredible, the flavour was so good and it was so filling. Sharing this recipe with every human I know!
Cadry
Aw, that makes my day! Thank you for letting me know. I’m really glad you enjoyed it.
Katherine
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 😊
Cadry
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!
Susan
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.
Cadry
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.
Sharon Doak
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!!
Cadry
I’m so glad you enjoyed the soup, Sharon! Thank you for letting me know!
Angela Butler
Absolutely delicious! I doubled the recipe so have some yummy leftovers!
Cadry
I’m so delighted to hear that, Angela! Thank you for the wonderful feedback. Enjoy your leftovers!
Carrie
Love your recipes and also all of your interesting observations and personal additions!!!!! You are one talented (and compassionate) writer!
Cadry
That really warms my heart, Carrie! Thank you so much!
Doug
Looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it!
Cadry
Thanks, Doug! I think you’re going to love it!