Zuppa Toscana Soup (Vegan or not!)

Zuppa Toscana soup is a creamy Italian soup. I have seen it made frequently with Italian sausage, kale, and cream, but I know some of my readers are vegan, so I have included a versions that use veggie sausage and almond milk!

Not sure if I am blatantly copying the name zuppa toscana for this soup, but it's a go to in my house during the winter. It's hearty, filling, a lil spicy, and creamy... I mean - yes please! It's got some kale and potatoes added in to balance everything out.

I have a few soup recipes memorized by heart, and this is one of them. I can just go into the store and get everything I need off the top of my head. This is great when it's blizzarding outside, and all I want to do is get back my cozy house. There really is something so therapeutic about soup in the winter.

Home Cook Substitutions

I originally learned to make this soup when I was a vegan. The key component to this soup is achieving a smoky and red pepper spiced base, and because it's loaded with potatoes, it's very filling without meat. I originally used Morning Star Bacon, diced into bits, along with some liquid smoke and my cashew parmesan cheese to achieve the flavor.

NOWADAYS - we have a ton of meat substitutes available. I love using the veggie hot italian sausage from the beyond meat brand. It's DELICIOUS! It wasn't available when I was vegan and let me tell you - they've really stepped up the meat substitutes game. I still use this sausage from time to time - if you are a carnivore I challenge you to try it! The food science nerd in me is mega impressed at how far these options have come over the last few years!

To Make this Zuppa Toscana Soup Vegan:

• Sub regular italian sausage: Use veggie hot italian sausage (beyond meat brand is great!), or use Morning Star Bacon. Or both! Garbanzo beans also add a good protein source.
  • Can't find either? Use a lot of olive oil when sautéing the onions for some flavor, then add a lot of smoked paprika, some liquid smoke (if you can find it), and red pepper flakes. Go a little heavier with the spices in the recipe for additional flavor!
• Sub Heavy Cream: unflavored almond milk works well to replace the cream in this recipe. This soup is good because it's creamy - so I HIGHLY recommend adding my cashew parmesan cheese into the soup and on top of the soup. It'll give you some of that creaminess and umami flavor.
  • Keep in mind with nut milks that they are inevitably a little sweet, so you may have to add more of the spices to mask that.
• Chicken Broth: sub veggie broth or fake chicken broth

That's about it, you can follow the rest of the recipe as is! I cannot emphasize to my vegan friends enough - you can achieve a LOT of the flavors in recipes by making sure to saute your onions well in a hefty dose of olive oil and the spices the recipe calls for. The combo of fat from the oil and heat helps to bloom the spices - which is flavortown for you!

Zuppa Toscana Soup (Vegan or not!)

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Zuppa Toscana Soup is a hearty soup with Italian sausage, kale, potatoes, and a creamy, smoky, slightly spicy broth. Here, we show you how to do it regular, or vegan! It's also gluten free and I give you a link to my cashew parmesan cheese which really amplifies this soup!

• Author: Emily Marrs
• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 5 servings 1x
• Category: Main Course
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Italian, Soup

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 lb Italian sausage (regular or plant based) (For vegan instructions, see notes)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium white or yellow onion (diced)
• 3-4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1-2 tsp smoked paprika (to taste)
• ½ -1 tsp red pepper flakes (depends on how spicy you want it)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 2-3 medium gold potatoes (diced)
• 4 cups chicken stock (I use bouillon )
• 1-2 cups water
• 1 head kale, destemmed and diced (can sub spinach)
• 1/2-1 cup heavy cream (or milk)
• kosher salt & black pepper (to taste)

TO SERVE

• Cashew Parmesan Cheese (or regular parmesan)
• fresh parsley (chopped)

Instructions

1. Vegan Version: see the notes below. You can follow the instructions the same, just include your appropriate substitutions.
2. Add a splash of olive oil to a large stock pot/dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add your italian sausage. If it came in links, remove the casing.
3. Cook the meat, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Once cooked, remove the meat, set it on a plate, and set aside.
4. Add the rest of the olive oil to the same pot. Add onions, and cook, stirring frequently, until translucent and fragrant.
5. Turn the heat to medium low. Add garlic, spices, and a pinch of salt. Saute for a few minutes to bloom the spices.
6. Next, add the diced potatoes, cooked meat, broth, and water to the pot. Turn heat back up to medium and cook until soup begins to boil.
7. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cook for 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.
8. Next, add the heavy cream/milk, and chopped kale. Adjust the spices to your preferences.
   Note: You can control how creamy/rich the soup is based on how much cream you add here.
   *vegan version: add some Cashew Parmesan Cheese Recipe now.
9. Cook 5ish minutes until kale is wilted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Top with Cashew Parmesan Cheese Recipe and fresh parsley. Enjoy!

 

Notes

For Vegan Substitutions:

• Italian Sausage: Sub veggie Italian Sausage (beyond meat hot italian sausage is delicious) or fake bacon (morning star is a great because of its smokiness).
  • If you do not have access to either of these, you can add a can of garbanzo beans for protein.
  • Make sure to saute your onions in extra olive oil (1-2 Tablespoons)-trust me.
• For Heavy Cream: 
  • unsweetened almond milk: this will work well, but sometimes adds a little sweetness to the soup - extra spices will counteract this.
  • I highly recommend adding my Cashew Parmesan Cheese Recipe to the soup. It will give you the creamy, umami, cheesiness that the heavy cream adds. 
  • If you don't have cashew parm, nutritional yeast will give the soup a creamy cheesy flavor.
• Chicken Broth: 
  • Sub veggie broth, or fake chicken broth, whatever you can find/have on hand. 
• To Enhance Flavor- Add Extra Spices:
  • Once all the ingredients have been added and the soup has been simmering for a while, taste the broth.
    • You'll need to add extra spices to get the flavor lost from the meat - especially if you don't use any meat substitutes. 
  • Slowly add small amounts of every spice listed in the recipe (unless you want it really spicy, don't add any additional red pepper flakes). Taste, and continue adding until the broth is flavorful. Adjust salt to taste. 
  • If you have liquid smoke - toss a little in!

Keywords: zuppa toscana soup, vegan zuppa toscana soup, italian sausage, gluten-free, soup