Zuppa Toscana, meaning “Tuscan soup,” is a balanced soup filled with hearty potatoes, flavorful plant-based sausage, and vibrant greens. This Vegan Zuppa Toscana is meat and dairy free but just as delicious as the original!
I made this vegan Zuppa Toscana recipe without even realizing it was a vegan version of Olive Garden’s beloved Zuppa Toscana. We love Beyond Meat vegan sausages and one day I add them to a simple potato soup with white beans and kale. After whisking in some cashew cream at the end, this vegan Zuppa Toscana was born. We like to pair this hearty soup with fresh Italian bread or toasted vegan sourdough bread with olive oil, garlic and salt. If I were to serve this soup to friends, I would also make a side vegan Caesar salad for a delicious, balanced and hearty meal!
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Why this recipe works!
- Choose a vegan sausage of your choice to make this soup The smell is so deep From the very beginning. By browning the sausage, you’ll have a rich, flavorful gravy that you can then sauté your onions and garlic in, resulting in layers of flavor!
- It’s a One-pot meals that are balanced, meaning it contains protein, carbohydrates, fats and vegetables all in one pot. It fulfills the mother’s dream!
- When I don’t have a lot of time I like to use store-bought conveniences, making this vegan Zuppa Toscana even easier to prepare. However, if you want to go the extra mile, you can take the extra time to use homemade vegan sausage, cook your beans from scratch, and use homemade veggie broth.
Materials
- Vegan Sausage – It is very important to use a vegan sausage brand that you personally like. We love making this Zuppa Toscana with Beyond Vegan Sausages because they’re full of flavor, which permeates the rest of the soup.
- flour – To make a roux you will need some flour to mix into the fat from the sausage. The roux and cashew cream will make a delicious, rich and creamy soup base.
- potatoes – White or yellow potatoes are my favorite types of potatoes to use in this soup, but feel free to use whatever you have on hand.
- White beans – I like to use cannellini beans in this soup, but any creamy, light-colored bean will work well.
- cashew nuts – Traditional Zuppa Toscana calls for heavy cream, but for this vegan Zuppa Toscana, whip up homemade cashew cream. To make cashew cream, you blend cashews with water until a thick, smooth cream forms. Then you use it in your soup!
- in time – I love kale in this recipe, but any hearty green vegetable should work.
- Vegetable broth – For a more meaty flavor than meat, you can use a plant-based broth that tastes like meat, such as non-beef or lean.
See recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantities.
replacement
Although we love Beyond Meat Sausage, feel free to use whatever sausage you have on hand and enjoy.
To make this Vegan Zuppa Toscana gluten-free, use gluten-free all-purpose flour and make sure the plant-based sausages you use are also gluten-free.
If you don’t have cashews on hand, you can find a plant-based cooking creamer at your local grocery store. You can also use unsweetened soy milk. Oats or almonds can also work, but I find they have a naturally sweet taste, even when no sugar is added.
How to Make Vegan Zuppa Toscana
In a large pot, cook the vegan sausage, onion and garlic in a little olive oil until browned. Cut the sausage before cooking or break it up with a spoon while cooking. Drain off excess oil if necessary.
When the onions are soft, sprinkle in the flour and spices and stir to coat the sausage in the flour. Allow the flour to cook for a few minutes before slowly adding the broth and potatoes. Bring the soup to a simmer and let the potatoes cook until fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Stir in the white beans and kale and let heat through, about 5-10 minutes.
While the soup is simmering, blend the cashews and water until smooth and then add this “cream” to the soup.
hints: Cut the potatoes into equal pieces so that they cook evenly.
storage
This soup lasts for several days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. This makes for great leftovers so make a double batch if you like!
The cashew cream will thicken as the soup cools, so you may need to add a splash of water to the soup as it reheats. However, mine usually loosens up as it reheats.
My top tips
- Once the sausages are browned, discard any excess oil. When I forget to do this, the soup is much fattier than I like, and I end up with globs of oil on top of my soup when I’m eating.
Recipe FAQs
Zuppa Toscana means “Tuscan soup” in Italian. Olive Garden made this sausage, potato and bean soup famous, although a classic Tuscan soup has a few different ingredients like zucchini, carrots, celery and pancetta.
Yes, Italians eat Zuppa Toscana. However, their Tuscan soup is usually a slightly spicy vegetable soup, while Olive Garden has turned it into a creamy, sausage-based soup.
Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscana Soup is not vegetarian. It contains sausage and cream, both animal based products. However, you can make a vegetarian Zuppa Toscana using plant-based sausage and homemade cashew cream.
More vegan soup recipes!
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Tuscan Soup
Zuppa Toscana is a vegetarian version of the popular Olive Garden Soup
Materials
- 1 table spoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic minced meat
- 1 Pounds. Vegetarian Sausage We love Beyond Meat Original Brats
- ½ teaspoon Smoked paprika as an alternative.
- 2 table spoon flour Use gluten-free if needed
- 5 the cup Vegetable broth
- 4 the middle potatoes Wash and cube
- 1 Can make 15 oz cannellini beans drained and rinsed
- 2 stalks Kale to cut
- ½ the cup raw cashews to soak
- 1 the cup the water
- Chilli and lemon juice to test
instructions
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In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry for about 1 minute. Add the vegan sausage and cook until the sausage is browned on all sides. I like to cut up the sausage before adding it to the pot to speed up this process. When browned, drain excess oil from sausage.
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Sprinkle flour and smoked paprika on top. Stir to coat the sausage in the flour and let the flour cook for a few minutes.
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Gradually add the vegetable stock, stirring constantly to incorporate the flour. Add the cubed potatoes and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and then let the potatoes cook until fork tender, about 10-15 minutes.
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Add the white beans and kale and let cook for 5 or so minutes, until the kale is wilted and the beans are heated through.
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As the soup boils, blend the soaked cashews with 1 cup of water until a smooth, creamy form forms. Pour it into the soup and heat it. Taste and add more salt as needed along with some freshly ground pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve hot!
Comment
- We love the Beyond Meat Original Brats in this recipe.
nutrition
Calories: 346kcalSugars: 38gProtein: 20gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fats: 4gMonounsaturated fats: 6gSodium: 1300mgPotassium: 768mgFiber: 7gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 536IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 28mgIron: 19mg