Vegan Zuppa Toscana
This Vegan Zuppa Toscana soup is perfectly creamy and comforting. Potatoes, vegan sausage and kale are loaded up in a super flavorful broth!
It has been a hot minute since I have posted a new recipe! I went all in on on creating 31 NEW recipes for my new ebook – Ultimate Vegan Dinner Guide – so I had to take a brief hiatus from my normal posting schedule here.
But I have sooooooo many ideas for recipes I plan to bring to TSV over the next month, so hold onto your butts (movie reference, people), because there are going to be plenty of new recipes coming your way.
Now, onto today’s recipe. This Vegan Zuppa Toscana soup has literally been on my to-do list for the last year. So I am soooooo excited to finally be sharing it with all of you.
It is everything you could want in a soup. Creamy, flavorful broth filled with potatoes, vegan sausage and kale. I mean, what else could you ask for in a meal?
TSV TIP: For the sausage in this recipe I used Beyond Sausage Spicy Italian. You can use your favorite brand of vegan sausage.
How to Make this Vegan Zuppa Toscana
This soup is super easy to make! Brown off your vegan sausage, then make a roux with vegan butter and flour. Add your onions and spices to the pan and cook until tender.
Next add your water, non-dairy milk, bouillon and potatoes to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are tender.
Lastly, add your kale and cook until it is tender. Serve this up with more red pepper flakes, pepper and some crusty bread.
It is one of those soup recipes that you will want to make again and again. You can also freeze the leftovers for an easy weeknight dinner!
Vegan Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8-16 ounces vegan Italian sausage*
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds roughly chopped
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper plus more to taste
- red pepper flakes to taste
- 3 cloves garlic diced
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup non-dairy milk, unsweetened I used soy
- 2 tsp Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base**
- 1 tsp Better Than Bouillon No Beef Base**
- 5 small russet potatoes (or 2 large ones) peeled and diced into 1" cubes
- 2 cups kale stems removed and chopped
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Allow the sausage to brown, stirring frequently, for 7-10 minutes. Remove the sausage from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add the butter to the pot and let it melt. Slowly whisk in the flour until the mixture is smooth and bubbly.
- Add the onion, fennel seeds, oregano, black pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes and stir to coat evenly. Continue to cook until the onion begins to soften (approx. 5-7 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
- Slowly pour in the water and milk. Add the bouillon and stir until it is combined. Add the potatoes to the pot, cover and bring to a boil. Once it has reached a boil, remove the lid and lower the heat. Simmer, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork tender (approx. 10 minutes).
- Add the kale and most of the cooked sausage back to the pot and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Serve the soup topped with more black pepper, red pepper flakes and the leftover sausage pieces.
- You can serve this with some crusty bread for dunking.
Video
Notes
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This soup was so good! I made slight modifications to the recipe. My husband and I love mushrooms, so we added mushrooms, extra oregano, Italian seasoning, 6 cloves of garlic, sweet and spicy seasoning, and 1 1/2 tbsp of better than veggie bouillon. I also use mushroom broth instead of water.
I absolutely love all of your recipes! I was wondering if you had a good sub for the sausage? Or is this one of those recipes that the sausage makes the dish? I was never a big meat eater in my pre-vegan life so I don’t enjoy the flavors of the faux stuff either. This looks delicious and I would love to try!
It kind of makes the dish, but if you really don’t want to use it, you could crumble up some tofu and add some extra seasonings – more fennel and Italian should do the trick!
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This recipe is in our regular rotation and a regular for guests as well. I make it with the following adjustments for flavor and simplicity:
…steamed & puréed cauliflower instead of flour & non-dairy milk (very effective thickener; faster & easier than a rue; more veggies less calories)
…both crumbled and link vegan sausage to add texture
…add a little Beyond Bullion Sautéed Onion and Garlic flavors to taste. Really, just a little
Great job making a conventional favorite into a vegan favorite!
I made this for a family/friend gathering, and everyone raved about it. The flavor was sooooo good. I absolutely loved it, and am already planning to make it again. Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!!!
Forgot to mention. My husband even overheard a friend say, “Maybe I will go vegan.” WIN!
hahaha – LOVE THIS!
This soup is so good, I made it yesterday and it was perfect for a lazy Sunday meal. My fiancé loved it so much he asked me to make it again tonight and with experience it turned out even better! I will say though as written it’s a little lacking on flavor/richness so I added more bouillon, Italian seasoning, more butter while the potatoes were simmering, and my secret weapon, umami seasoning (the spice lab magic mushroom powder). So delicious with baguette or focaccia! I also like it with spicy impossible sausage, it holds up nicely in the soup.
Can this be made in an instant pot? If so recommendations on how?
Hi Rachel!
I make a very similar version of this in the Instant pot.
-On sauté mode: cook sliced/crumbled 2 pkgs. Beyond Hot Italian Sausage. Then empty out all but 2tsp of the oil from the sausage and set the cooked sausage aside. Next, saute the 1 chopped onion in the 2tsp oil, add 1 heaping tsp Oregano and cook till starts to soften, then add 4 garlic cloves and sauté one minute more. Then add 6 cups No Chick’n bouillion (already mixed with water to make 6 cups stock), and scrape off all the stuff stuck to the bottom of pot for extra flavor, add 4-6 chopped potatoes.
Cook on Manual for 5 Minutes, with a 10 Minute natural pressure release when done. Next add in 1 bunch chopped kale, stir well. Cover and heat through for 5 minutes.
Stir in 1-1 1/2 cups cashew cream . Serve and Enjoy!!! .
* add sausage back in when adding the potatoes to the pot.
Can you use Spinach instead of Kale?
Yes, I’ve done so with great results. I recommend adding more, and just before serving.
This soup was the BOMB! My 1st time making it, blew my mind! The leftovers were even better. I added fresh Rosemary & it was perfect!
Fantastic! Thank you for sharing; I can never have too many amazing vegan recipes.
i use the beyond hot italian sausage and this soup is so delicious! it’s quickly become one of my meals on rotation. i do cook down the kale with some olive oil and garlic just to get rid of that chewy kale texture that i’m not a fan of, and i also add a little bit of vegan heavy cream to make it extra creamy. topped with some vegan parm and served with crusty bread and it’s so comforting and delicious.
So glad you liked it Meagan!
I made this for my meat-eating mother-in-law, and she absolutely loved it! I used Tofurky Italian Sausage (14 oz), homemade veggie broth instead of the bouillon, almond flour for the roux, and boxed coconut milk, and I left the skin on the potatoes. I finely chopped the kale stems to use in fried rice later, but they would have also been great in this recipe if I had thrown them in the pot when I put the onions in to soften up. Delicious, quick, and easy!
Yummmmm! Those all sound like great subs. So glad you and your family enjoyed!
Is it possible to make this without the sausage?
This was so good and so easy! I forgot to grab the fennel seeds at the store so I added a little rosemary instead and it worked out great!
Yum! Rosemary sounds like a great addition!
Do you have nutrition for this recipe?
I just came to ask the same thing!
Sure! You could omit it altogether or you could sub cooked lentils. Either way you will probably want to season it with some Italian seasoning.
This is one of my go-to soups for a chilly evening. I’ve served it many times to non-vegans to RAVE reviews! Dipping some bread/focaccia into the soup takes it to the next level. Thanks for the awesome and simple recipe!
Yummmmm…focaccia sounds amazing with this. So glad you enjoyed!
Finally decided to make this soup and we absolutely loved it! I used gluten free flour and it worked just find. Perfect winter soup on a snowy weekend. Thank you for this delicious vegan recipe. ❤
So glad you enjoyed it Liz!
This is my first time using vegan chicken or beef bouillon, and it absolutely makes the recipe!! The broth is rich and flavorful, and the combo of potatoes, sausage, and kale feels excellently balanced. A definite favorite for the winter season 🙂
Hi Katie! So glad you liked this!!!
Added some white bean purée and used impossible sausage with some sage, was delicious with a homemade sourdough
You had me at homemade sourdough!!! So glad you enjoyed this!
This was delicious and very simple! I didn’t have any bouillon so I used four cups of low sodium veggie broth and one cup of extra creamy Chobani oat milk – super flavorful. I was surprised at how the Beyond Sausage stood up to the soup, it didn’t disintegrate or get soggy. Made a fresh loaf of no knead artisan bread to sop up the soup…yum. Will definitely make again!
Hi Rebecca – so glad you enjoyed this! Th fresh bread sounds like the perfect side!
Just made this tonight. It’s sooo good! Perfect for fall. Thank you so much!!
made this today so i could have something to eat throughout the week, it did not disappoint!! i used light life sausage, and before adding the kale i used an immersion blender on some of the potatoes to thicken it up a bit!! awesome flavor, super satisfying and filling. definitely making again as the weather gets colder.
Hi Stella – so glad you liked it! I like the idea of blending some of it up for a thicker soup!
I’ve made this so many times for my vegan girlfriend and she LOVES it! But she’s recently watching her carbs, would this recipe make any sense with sweet potatoes substituted?
Hi Chris – you could definitely do sweet potatoes. I also wouldn’t be mad about some beans in this soup too!
What’s the calories
Very good recipe. It was so simple to put together and tasted very good. I made it without using oil or vegan butter. Really nice flavor, and healthy! Thanks for the nice recipe!
Hi Mim – so glad you enjoyed this!
This was a delicious soup. Used oat milk and it was perfect. I have to say that the flavours melded beautifully and the consensus was it was even better the next day. I was happy to get away from beans in a soup. Thanks for this.
Yay! So glad you liked it! And I agree, the leftovers are super tasty!
This soup is for everyone because it is so delicious. I am not vegan and use spicy Italian sausage, butter and make my own chicken stock. I’ve never liked kale but love it cooked. Maybe one day I will cross over to the vegan side but for now I’m using your wonderful recipe and making it my own.
This soup came out amazing! I doubled the broth and was wondering how big could make it a little thicker? Other than that it was delicious!!
Havent tasted yet, but prep time is way more than 15 min. Just prepping potatoes, onions, spices, sausage.
Cook time I guess was close to 30, and its alot of work and has a bit of clean up when over. A little more specific on the sausage. Beyond sausage has 3 flavors. Other brands are different. Hope it takes good. 🙂
Easy weeknight meal and OMG so delicious!
Thank you!!!
All I can say is it’s simply delicious! I made it for some non vegan friends and let’s just say it was the hit of the night!!! Thanks!!!
Woooo – so glad it was a hit Bridget!
Loved it! Perfect recipe for February in Western NY 🙂
O.M.G. Delicious! This was amazing and I ate until I was stuffed. I used half the potato amount and added cannellini beans (just to watch the carbs, so I could eat the bread) but followed everything to a T. Wonderful, thank you so much!
This was delicious and young kiddo approved!! I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of accidentally adding sweetened soy milk instead of unsweetened. Luckily, It was still yummy!
Glad it still worked out and that your kids approved 🎉
Great recipe! I used some of my sister’s “Italian sausage” spice farro recipe instead of veg sausage. Delish. Thank you so much!
SO GOOD. I used all veggie broth instead of water (and only 3 cups because apparently I can’t read) and unsweetened almond milk and it still came out amazing.
Yay! So glad you liked it!
This came out great! I used all veggie broth instead of water/bouillon and spinach instead of kale. Thanks for sharing!
Can I use coconut milk as my non-dairy milk?
I usually go for a more neutral non-dairy milk, like soy or oat. But it will definitely work! You might get a slight sweetness.
This soup is crazy good. I’ve been vegan for about 9 months and I’ve tried at least one new recipe a week. This is by far the best recipe I’ve tried so far. When I went vegan, Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup is one of the few things I missed. Now that has been rectified as I can make this at home whenever I want. I followed the recipe exactly except I used almond milk instead of soy. Thanks for sharing.
Yay! So glad you liked it and are able to get your soup craving curbed 🤗
I made this dish for Christmas dinner for my parents, brother, husband and son. My brother and I eat (mostly) plant based while the rest of the family does not. The great thing about hosting Christmas dinner is that I knew whatever vegan dish I was going to prepare was going to be delicious and our meat-eating relatives would be satisfied. Besides – my brother and I are always “harder to feed” when we eat holiday dinners away from home so it was nice to be in control.
I followed this recipe mostly exactly – except I didn’t use beyond meat or the fennel. I found a spicy Italian vegan sausage at Wegmans that was perfect for this dish. It was just the right amount of heat for everyone. We all love spicy food so it was a hit. I served this homemade dinner rolls and it was perfect.
For meat-eating friends:
This recipe was such a huge hit with my family that there were no leftover and I was asked to make it again tonight. This time it was only for my husband, son, and me. My father is a small organic farmer in Southeast Virginia and is always providing us with fresh seasonal produce and true farm-to-table meat. This Christmas he tried his hand at regular and spicy chicken bratwurst and turkey bacon. When my husband (begged) for me to make this dish again (that he loved the vegan version of) we used my dad’s spicy chicken bratwurst in place of the faux-meat. It was once again a huge hit. Full of flavor, perfectly hearty and savory, and just the perfect recipe for cuddling on the couch by the warm lights of the Christmas tree, a big cozy blanket, a puppy by your side and a good book. Very hyggelig. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the detailed review! I’m so glad it was a hit with the whole family! Happy New Year!
Looking forward to making this! Has anyone made it the day before, let it sit in the fridge overnight and reheat on the stovetop the next day? Trying to minimize the amount of cooking on Christmas Day.
Absolutely love this soup, we’ve made it twice in the last week! The flavors go together perfectly and it hits the spot on these cooler days we are having. We will definitely continue to enjoy this one.
Yay! So glad you liked it!!!
This was pretty good! The flavors were definitely great, but I did feel like I needed way more broth. There was hardly any when it was all said and done. I would probably double the broth next time? As is there was too much sausage (but more broth could fix this) and I used an amount right in between what was suggested. I used Field Roast Italian sausage because it’s our favorite. I didn’t have kale so used frozen spinach and that was great. I used veggie bouillon cubes since I can’t really find loose powder at any stores, much less vegan versions of beef or chicken.
One of my friends that was over for dinner is not vegan, but he really loved the soup! My kiddos also enjoyed it, But they wanted more broth as well.
I would definitely make this again, but doubling the broth next time for sure!
So good! Couldn’t figure out to post a picture.
I wish you could post pictures, but that isn’t a feature yet. So glad you liked it!
Girlfriend!! This soup was such a win!!
Do you have a crockpot version? I’m afraid if I just throw it all in the crockpot it won’t thicken right with the flour mixture.
I don’t have a crockpot version 🤔 It would probably work. I would just brown the sausage separately and rather than making a roux with the butter and flour…instead, make a flour slurry with 2 tbsp of flour and 2 tbsp of water and pour it in about 10 minutes before eating. You could still add the butter at the end too 🤗
so yum
Thank you!!!
Turned out SO good. My boyfriend and I could not get over how tasty and satisfying this soup was. Thank you for the recipe!
So glad you both liked it!!!
This soup is absolutely wonderful! All the flavors marry perfectly! I will definitely make this again…and again!
Yay! So glad you liked it!!!
Yummy! Not sure why ours didn’t turn out looking like these pictures, but it tasted great! We added a couple zucchini for even more veggies 😊
So glad it turned out well – and I love the idea of extra veggies!
This soup is seriously delicious. It’s easy to make as well! I love recipes that only require 1 pot/pan. I used beyond sausage and it was perfect. I think it would also be good with Lightlife sausage. I served mine with crusty roasted garlic bread. Yum!
So glad you liked it. I love lightlife too! And the crusty garlic bread sounds 🙌
Absolutely LOVE this soup! I made it quickly after your first post last December, and I have made it so many times over since. Family loves it, as well, and we are picky about potato soups! 🙂 Delicious, hearty, and great for the cool months; though, we would eat it any time. Thanks!
Yay! I’m so glad it is a hit with your family!
Loved it! I used Yukon Gold potatoes because they were on sale, Tofurky Italian sausage because my store didn’t have Beyond, and Ripple plant-based milk because I love cooking with it! It turned out great! I’ll definitely be making it again.
Yay! So glad you liked it Suzy!
This was so good! I’m making the transition into a plant based diet but my husband loves his meat. I waited until after he ate to tell him that it was vegan and he couldn’t believe it! Definitely a winner!
Haha – love this. So glad you both liked it!
Fantastic recreation of my favorite Olive Garden meal that I have missed since adopting a plant based diet 3 years ago. I couldnt find Beyond sausage so I subbed Lightlife plant based ground sausage and added more fennel and it turned out great. Will definitely make again and again.
Awesome! So glad you liked it Jan!
So freaking good. I used unsweetened almond milk bc I forgot to pick up soy! Turned out fabulous. Adding this to my favorite soups list!
Woo! So glad you liked it!
This was awesome and tastes just like the original!
I used almond milk instead of soy.
I don’t normally comment or rate recipes but this is honestly one of my favorite vegan recipes ever. I’m always coming back to it and recommending it to others! Love it so much!!
SO glad you liked it! And thanks for much for leaving a comment. I love hearing feedback 😉
SO good!! This will be added to the supper rotation! Thank you!
Awesome! It’s always a win when you find something you can add to the rotation 🙂
I rarely post comments on the recipes I make but I just had to say that this is the best vegan dish I have ever made! Thank you so much for this recipe, it’s fantastic! 😍
You’re so sweet – I’m so glad you loved it!
I rarely comment but I made this last week and the recipe is DELICIOUS! Tastes better the next day and just like Olive Gardens! I‘m already harvesting kale and mustard greens growing in my garden. Made vegan with fieldstone Italian sausage, added red bell and used plain cashew milk. Thank you so much for the recipe! Been missing restaurants since the shelter in place order. This helps!
So glad you liked it – and those homegrown greens sound amazing!
How much veggie broth should I sub in instead of the better than bouillon??
4 cups – so sub the bouillon AND the 4 cups of water for 4 cups of broth.
We loved this recipe!! We are not vegan, just dairy free so I did sub real spicy italian sausage for the vegan meat. It worked great for us!!
So glad you were able to try this and make it to your liking. I swear the Beyond Meat Italian Sausage tastes like real meat. I’d love to hear your take on it if you make it again. I obviously haven’t eaten meat in years, so my taste could be skewed 🙂
I love soup and I LOVE this soup! So full of flavor and so easy to make. Thanks for all your hard work making and sharing so many delicious recipes
How big is the stock pot you use for this recipe?
I used a 4 quart dutch oven 🙂
Thank you! Making it this week!
Made this tonight and this is amazing! I will make it over and over again!
Yay! So glad you liked it Adrienne!
I just made this last night – WOW! So good! Happily eating leftovers today. Great recipe – can’t wait to try more. Thank you!
I love soup leftovers! So glad you liked it!
This recipe sounds delicious! Reading the ingredients…..did you actually mean 8, 16 OZ packages of sausage?! That seems like a lot ……besides, the Beyond Beef Sausages are quite expensive.
It reads 8-16 oz – meaning 8 to 16 oz of sausage. I also have a note associated with that ingredient where I mention you can use less sausage (aka 8 oz) for a lighter soup 😉 Hope that clarifies it.
Both times that I made it, it was more of a homogenized chowder, and not ‘brothy’ and we loved it, although I’m looking forward to making more ‘brothy.’ Has anyone else made it like more of a chowder?
A M A Z I N G! I was so in love with Olive Gardens Zuppa Toscana but have not had it for about 5 years since adopting a more vegan and pescatarian lifestyle. This brought tears of joy to
my eyes when I tasted it. It’s even better than what I’ve had before!! My family loved it too. Such a simple recipe with amazing flavor. Thank you, thank you!
I made it the second time with red potatoes because that’s what I had, and it was again delicious!!!
i read a food rule from Michael Pollan,s book “Food Rules” that stated “ if made in a plant, don’t eat it, if it comes from a plant, eat it. The vegan sausage concerns me in this respect. How safe are the ingredients?
Kirsten, There are many different ways of being vegan and WFPB. That said, there are many different kinds of vegan sausages made in “a plant”. Please don’t be that person who feels the need to be the ingredient police. If a recipe doesn’t fit your particular philosophy, can’t you just just scroll on by?
Kristen, it’s easy to adjust this blog’s recipes to both whole food AND low fat preferences. Just replace the high-fat factory fake meat with cooked beans (berlotti or cannelini would be my first choice, but chickpeas would do). Voila! You now have a whole food version! When you find a recipe like this with flavors and ingredients you generally like, just make the adjustments to suit your needs. When you figure out a substitution that works, most bloggers appreciate having it shared in the comments so that others who may follow a similar path will know about it. It may also help those on a tight food budget who find the price of Beyond products to be out of reach.
I’m sitting on a bunch of collard greens. I imagine that they would work well in place of the kale for my second time making it, right?
100% – I love collard greens 🙂
Great. Made it twice already. Once as written, once with pasta instead of potatoes. Kids even ate it up!
Yum! I love the idea of this soup with pasta 🙂
What would be a good replacement for the vegan sausage? Plant based but not into meat substitutes.
You could do a hearty veggie like eggplant or mushrooms. You could even marinate them in some soy sauce, liquid smoke and spices to give them more depth of flavor before frying them off 🙂
* add sausage back in when adding the potatoes to the pot into the broth.
Ok this soup is STUPID GOOD!!! I made a pot of it for New Years Day dinner and kept the sausage in “coin” shapes instead of crumbling for good luck in 2020 I made myself a bowl and my Carnivorous husband ?made himself one also. I sat down to eat and read my book and when I got up to get another bowl my husband had finished the pot!!! WTF grrrr ? now normally I would be thrilled that he likes one of my vegan dishes…but Dayuuuuum it it was soooo good I wanted, no needed another bowl!!! ? So I’m making it again right now for dinner for Jan 2 lol ???❤️ TY for sharing this delicious recipe!!! A keeper for sure!!! ?
Haha – that is hilarious!!! Glad it was a hit for everyone 🙂
Made this tonight using my 3 Qt Instant Pot (I cut the recipe in 1/2) also used collard greens b.c they needed to be cooked; it was delicious!
Hi there! This looks amazing! On your video you add garlic but I dont see it anywhere on the recipe here. How much do you add?
I just tossed some in without measuring.
Good catch! I updated the recipe with the garlic measurements!
I’m sure this is a great recipe, as I am beginning the making of it now, but I’m wondering why you haven’t imbedded add in your page for dairy milk … just wondering!?
Thanks for letting me know – I don’t have complete control of which ads are shown to users, and they change every session. But if I ever see an ad for dairy/meat I report them to be removed from my site. I will keep an eye out for the ad you mentioned!
Yeah, it was promoting milk in a huge way to get people to drink it three times per day. I also saw you at garlic powder in the video, so I just threw it in at the end. How about some fresh garlic? We loved it anyway and can’t wait to make it again! ❤️
I had to change it to a 5 star ?!
I made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS! It was perfect for a chilly winter night and will definitely be something I make again and again! My non-vegan husband (who usually needs his arm twisted to eat a vegan dish) absolutely loved it too! I love all of your recipes!! Thank you for sharing them with all of us! ?
Yay! So glad this was a hit with you and your husband!
This looks amazing! Now I can’t decide between your Sausage & Spinach Skillet Lasagna or this for dinner!
I made this and it was delish! I added fried mushrooms, corn, peas and string beans to make it healthier. The vegan sausage was excellent.
Those all sound like great additions! So glad you liked it 🙂
I’m not vegan, but your recipes are the best I have found! Thank you
Wooooo! You don’t have to be vegan to eat vegan food 🙂 Glad you’re getting some inspo to try out plant based recipes!