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:
- Laksa – Malaysian Curry Laksa Soup Recipe
- Vegan French Onion Soup
- Green Chili Enchilada Soup
- Chickpea Rice Soup
- Roasted Tomato Soup
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Zuppa Toscana (Sausage & Potato Soup)
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 ½ cup cooked lentils
For the seasonings:
- 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ 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
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
To add later:
- Cashew cream made with ⅓ cup of cashews + ¾ 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
- 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 or until the crumbles start to get crisp. Remove a third to use as 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.
- Add the veggie crumbles and other toppings of choice such as vegan cheese, chopped green onion, pepper flakes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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 ¼ cup tofu blended with ¾ cup water. Or use 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds, 2 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds, and 1 tablespoon flour and blend them with ¾ 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 ¼ 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.
Dawn
Update: I’ve made this several times now. It’s one of our favorite dishes. Would be great to serve company. Since I don’t make the cashew cream, I use full fat coconut milk. I cook an extra potato, once it’s cooked, I pull out enough potato pieces to roughly equal a potato and mash it with some of the soup sauce. This definitely helps to cream up the soup. I also started adding flax meal to thicken the soup and bump up the fiber. We love arugula, so instead of spinach I tear about 2 large handfuls of arugula. I’ve started doubling the recipe. Yum! Will be having leftovers for today’s lunch.
Vegan Richa Support
Sounds delicious!!
Pamela
This was simply wonderful. I added extra potato and leftover quinoa taco crumbles from another recipe, and both of us blissed out over another perfect comfort food recipe. And it was reasonably quick to put together.
Vegan Richa Support
So happy to hear!
Leah
This turned out absolutely deliciously. And pretty simple to put together.
Vegan Richa Support
Yay! Thanks for commenting.
Lilly
Well, that was one surprisingly delicious soup! This is the most umami taste I have gotten ever since going meat- and dairy-free. Thank you so much, Richa, for this wonderful recipe that also made my omnivore husband very happy! I did take longer than 40 minutes, though… but it was absolutely worth it. Can’t recommend it enough!
Richa
Awesome!
Ashley
Made this with lentils for my in-laws and kids and we loved it! You nailed the sausage flavor and texture! I’ll definitely make again and double the recipe next time.
Vegan Richa Support
So glad your whole family liked it!
Pat
I really love the flavors in this recipe. My husband, the picky eater of the family, loves it!!
Vegan Richa Support
Good to hear!
Dawn
This soup has wonderful flavors. I used one link of beyond meat spicy Italian sausage cut into small pieces. I also used a can of coconut milk instead of making cashew milk. I live rather remote and don’t have access to refrigerated organic raw cashews.
Vegan Richa Support
I’m glad it worked out with the coconut milk!
Dina
I’m not vegan but I’m trying to eat less meat and dairy. Somehow you popped up in my Insta feed and I’ve been impressed with the volume of positive reviews on all of your recipes, so now I’m following! Anyhoo, I love this soup. I’ve made different variations over the years (from keto to low-fat). Yours is fantastic! Thanks!
Vegan Richa Support
Thank you and welcome!
Liz
Easy and delicious! A perfect soup for this time of year and just what I was craving. I used the Gardein veggie crumbles (“ground be’f”) and next time I’m making a double batch so we’ll have more leftovers. I highly recommend!
Vegan Richa Support
Leftovers are always good!
Jen
This came out so good. I don’t even like mushrooms but cooking them down with sausage spices and lentils made them amazing. I probably used more potatoes than necessary for a thicker batch. Have already recommended to friends. Thank you Richa!
Vegan Richa Support
Yay! Maybe you just hadn’t had mushrooms cooked in a way you liked them.
Annie
I made this dish for a large gathering I had to celebrate the new year last night. It was absolutely delicious and a total crowd pleaser! I highly recommend making this dish, you will not be disappointed…thank you Richa for all the great recipes and all the hard work it takes to provide them to us.
Annie
Vegan Richa Support
Thank you! Happy New Year!
A.J.
Excellent flavor! I used a mix of turnip greens and kale since that’s what’s growing in my parents’ garden at this time of year.
Vegan Richa Support
Awesome!
JoAnn
what and where do you buy veggie crumbles?
Vegan Richa Support
Veggie crumbles are usually in the frozen section of your grocery store. They are a soy based meat substitute.
Tanya H
I made this soup tonight and it was fantastic!
I rehydrated the soy curls in the veggie stock then used the stock in the soup.
Vegan Richa Support
That’s a great idea!
Erik B
Made it for dinner tonight. I doubled the recipe and made it in my instant pot (12 min on manual pressure cook). I added a diced sweet onion and used Trader Joe’s Vegan Italian Style Sausage-less Sausage (2 sausages, diced). I may sound like a TJ commercial, but I chopped up a bag of Trader Joe’s Organic Power to the Greens and after dishing out I sprinkled on TJ Vegan Parmesan Cheese. Fantastic!!! 10 stars!!!
Vegan Richa Support
Love trader joe’s too!
Rebecca
My favorite soup from Olive Garden growing up was Zuppa Tuscana, so I was excited to make this today. It was so delicious!
For the crumbles, I used Morning Star chorizo crumbles, and I ended up adding a splash of lemon juice at the end with the kale. The whole meal was quick to throw together. I doubled the batch so we have plenty of leftovers for tomorrow!
Richa
Yay!! Awesome
Sknycat
Made this today, New Year’s 2024, and WOW!!! Will have to double next time bc EVERYONE liked it and now I don’t have any to bring with me to work the rest of the week lol…
Vegan Richa Support
That’s great!
Mindy Richmond
Happy New Year. You never fail to help me figure out “what’s for dinner!” Looking forward to making this tonight and the best thing is that I have all the ingredients.
Thank you.
Richa
Awesome!
Sue
This looks delicious Richa. Thank you for all of your hard work in sharing your absolutely wonderful recipes with the world. You make my meals, desserts and snacks so flavorful and satisfying. Love the blog and your 3 COOKBOOKS
Happy 2024.
Vegan Richa Support
Thank you!! Happy New Year!
Sally Crouse
This looks wonderful, but, what are veggie crumbles?
Vegan Richa Support
Veggie crumbles are a soy based meat substitute