You will love this vegan Zuppa Toscana recipe – it is made with homemade sausage crumbles and plenty of fresh vegetables as well as cashew cream for that perfect rich and creamy texture. The perfect comfort food for a cold day. Naturally gluten-free + Nut-free version included. No need for premade sausage! Use my sausage seasoning with mushrooms or veggie crumbles or lentils!
Meet my new favorite vegan soup for cold days! This Zuppa Toscana is easy and the perfect comfort food.
Lusciously creamy and every bit as hearty and satisfying with that signature blend of potatoes, mushrooms, and spinach. I use veggie crumbles or chopped soycurls instead of sausage that get flavored with spices and herbs. You don’t have make the whole sausage! Cashew cream adds that decadent creamyness.
As we thicken the soup with cashew cream and the natural starches from the potatoes, it is gluten-free. However, if you want to keep this nut-free I have added a couple of alternatives for thickening the soup in the recipe notes.
With the added potatoes and veggie crumbles, this soup is filling enough to be a main dish. Top with vegan cheese shreds, pepper, herbs and serve with some toasty bread. So good!
More Vegan Soup Recipes:
Recipe Card
Zuppa Toscana (Sausage & Potato Soup)
You will love this vegan Zuppa Toscana recipe. It uses spiced up veggie crumbles and plenty of fresh vegetables as well as cashew cream for that perfect rich and creamy texture. No need for premade sausage! Use my sausage seasoning with mushrooms or veggie crumbles or lentils! Glutenfree, option for Nutfree
Servings: 4
Calories: 163kcal
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 4 oz (120 g) mushrooms chopped really small (white mushrooms or portobello)
- 2 oz (60 g) veggie crumbles/grounds or 1 oz soy curls rehydrated and chopped into small crumble pieces, or use 1/2 cup cooked lentils
For the seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the rest of the soup:
- 2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed (or use 3 if you’d like more potatoes)
- 3 cups (715 ml) of vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
To add later:
- Cashew cream made with 1/3 cup of cashews + 3/4 cup of water See notes for nut-free
- 2-3 oz (60 g) Chopped spinach or baby kale or other chopped greens
- green onion, pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
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Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and once the oil is hot add the chopped mushrooms and a good pinch of salt and cook until the mushroom are starting to turn golden on some edges. Then add the veggie crumbles, mix in and cook for one more minute.
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Then add the Italian herbs, oregano, fennel seeds, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Continue to cook for 2-5 minutes or until the crumbles start to get crisp. Remove a third to use as topping later
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Add the potatoes, veggies stock, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper, and mix really well. Partially cover and cook for 15-18 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked to your preference. Stir once or twice in between.
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Meanwhile Make the cashew cream by blending the cashews with water. Blend for 1 minute and let it sit for 5 minutes and then blend again for 30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times until the cashews are really smooth.
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Pour the cashew cream mixture into the saucepan and mix well. Bring to a good boil, taste, and adjust salt and flavor. Add in the greens and mix in. Switch off the heat.
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Add the veggie crumbles and other toppings of choice such as vegan cheese, chopped green onion, pepper flakes.
Notes
Flour to thicken instead of cashew cream: Mix 1.5 tablespoons of flour in 1/4 cup water and add it to the soup. Bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes to thicken.
Veggie crumbles: are a meat substitute that resembles ground meat. Use any vegan ground beef or meat or chopped up soycurls, or TVP, or crumbled up vegan sausage, or use cooked lentils or just more mushrooms.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Zuppa Toscana (Sausage & Potato Soup)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 163
Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Sodium 464mg20%
Potassium 551mg16%
Carbohydrates 19g6%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 2g2%
Protein 7g14%
Vitamin A 1468IU29%
Vitamin C 15mg18%
Calcium 50mg5%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Ingredients:
- instead of Italian sausage, we use veggie crumbles or soy curls
- For the seasonings, we use a blend of Italian herbs: oregano, fennel seeds, smoked paprika, garlic and onion powder,
- nutritional yeast is added to add a punch of umami and a touch of that cheesy flavor we love about zuppa toscana
- veggies: potatoes, mushrooms, and spinach or baby kale
- vegetable stock is added as a base for the soup but mushrooms stock would be delicious too
- for that luscious creaminess, we add cashew cream – homemade is best
Tips:
- for an extra boost of umami, you can add some shiitake mushrooms
- To make the soup nut-free use 1/4 cup tofu blended with 3/4 cup water. Or use 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds, 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds, and 1 tablespoon flour and blend them with 3/4 cup of water and use this instead of the cashew cream.
- You can also use flour to thicken instead of cashew cream: Mix 1.5 tablespoons of flour in 1/4 cup water and add it to the soup. Bring to a boil and cook for 3-4 minutes to thicken.
How to make Vegan Zuppa Toscana:
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and once the oil is hot add the chopped mushrooms and a good pinch of salt and cook until the mushroom are starting to turn golden on some edges.
Then add the veggie crumbles, mix in, and cook for one more minute. Then add the Italian herbs, oregano, fennel seeds, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Continue to cook for 2-5 minutes until the crumbles start to crisp up. Remove a third of the crumbles for topping later.
Add the potatoes, veggies stock, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper, and mix really well. Partially cover and cook for 15-18 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked to your preference. Stir once or twice in between.
Meanwhile, make the cashew cream by blending the cashews with water. Blend for 1 minute and let it sit for 5 minutes and then blend again for 30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times until the cashews are really smooth.
Pour the cashew cream mixture into the saucepan and mix well.
Bring to a good boil, taste, and adjust salt and flavor. Add in the greens and mix in. Switch off the heat.
Top with the sausagey veggie crumbles. If you want, top the soup with some shredded vegan cheese.
Storage
The soup can be stored in the refrigerator for upto 3 days. Keep the topping separate and add when the soup has been heated.
