This creamy vegan gnocchi soup recipe with white beans, kale, and a thick Italian-style base with sundried tomatoes is made in 40 minutes or less for a cozy soup perfect for busy weeknights or batch cooking for a take-along lunch.
This soup, oh, this soup! It combines the savory umami flavor of sundried tomato and creamy coconut milk with potato gnocchi, white beans, and veggies for a loaded, hearty soup that is so satisfying you'll forget it's entirely plant-based, dairy-free and made without added oil.
And guess what? Like my loaded chickpea dumpling soup and Italian kale and white bean soup, it's another great way to enjoy healthy kale. Now, that's a winner all around.
Top this yummy soup with quick vegan parmesan cheese or baked hemp seed parmesan, and seriously, you'll be licking the bowl and thinking about how soon is too soon to make another batch. Here's my answer: With a recipe this quick and easy, it's never too soon.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Gnocchi. Gnocchi are quick-cooking Italian potato dumplings. You can find gnocchi in most grocery stores. Make sure to read the labels to ensure they are vegan. I was aiming for a quick soup, but you can add homemade gnocchi.
- White Beans. Cannellini beans are my favorite white beans for soup because they are soft and add a creamy texture. You can substitute with great northern beans, navy beans, or chickpeas (garbanzo beans).
- Kale. I found dark green lacinato kale in our local walled garden (yes, it's by a castle). It's also known as dinosaur, Tuscan, or Cavo Nero kale. Curly kale is another great option.
- Sundried Tomatoes. Diced sundried tomatoes add intense flavor that can't quite be achieved with tomato paste. I buy bulk dehydrated sundried tomatoes which are cheaper and last a long time. If you use the jarred kind, try to find them packed in water. If they are packed in oil, rinse off as much oil as you can with warm water. If you have time on a weekend, try my oil-free, oven-dried tomatoes.
- Coconut Milk. Use light coconut milk. Plant milk, like oat milk, with a drop of coconut extract or another vegan coconut milk substitute, can also be used.
- Nutritional Yeast. 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, 'nooch', adds another layer of salty, umami flavor. You can omit this ingredient if you don't have or like it. You may need to add a pinch more salt after tasting.
- Fennel Seeds. ½ a teaspoon of fennel seeds add a nice Italian flavor this soup. Use ¼ teaspoon of ground fennel or substitute with caraway seeds.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
Recipe Variations
Spinach can be substituted for kale; however, you should add it after the gnocchi has cooked.
Next time I make this recipe, I intend to add my vegan tofu sausage. It was a taster suggestion, so I need to try it! Let me know if you do it before me, and we'll compare notes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cook the onions and peppers, then build the flavor base by adding the garlic, tomato paste, sundried tomatoes, smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, fennel, and nutritional yeast.
Add the tomatoes and vegetable broth and bring the ingredients to a simmer. Stir the bottom of the pot to clear it.
Mix in the coconut milk, white beans, kale, and gnocchi.
Keep the soup simmering until the gnocchi is soft and tender.
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Pro Tips
- Heat the soup pot or Dutch oven before adding the onions and red peppers. Heat keeps veggies from sticking when you don't add oil. Frequent or constant stirring also helps. If the veggies start to stick, add a tablespoon of water or veggie broth.
- Adding the broth and vegetable broth deglazes the bottom of the pot, which picks up any stuck-on ingredients.
- Before you begin cooking, check the gnocchi package instructions. I've made this recipe with fresh gnocchi, which takes about a minute to cook, and with packaged gnocchi, which takes about 3-5 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
This is a full-meal soup that serves as a main dish. Garnish it with vegan parmesan cheese, a toss of red chili flakes, or smattering of chopped parsley or fresh basil. Add a nice side salad like apple cranberry salad, pear and quinoa salad, or a mixed leaf salad with vegan honey mustard dressing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gnocchi soup lasts for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. Store it in an airtight container or individual containers for quick lunches. Reheat on low on the stove or in the microwave.
Freeze gnocchi soup in a freezer container or bag for 3 months. Thaw it before reheating. Freezing can sometimes impact the texture of gnocchi and thickness of the soup.
The best substitute for sundried tomatoes for soups and stews is tomato paste (tomato puree). For this recipe, add an extra tablespoon of tomato paste. Then, taste and add more if desired.
Look for vegan gnocchi in fresh, frozen, or long-life packages at grocery stores. Many brands are currently available that are specifically labeled as vegan.
Gnocchi is not always gluten-free; however, there are gluten-free varieties available. In fact, my favorite vegan gnocchi is also gluten-free and I found it at the supermarket.
Use thicker pastas like shells or Orecchiette. The texture won't be exactly the same as gnocchi, and you'll need to adjust the cooking time according to the package directions. Small diced potatoes are another option, but again, this will impact the texture.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Creamy Vegan Gnocchi Soup
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Ingredients
- 1 medium onion - diced
- 1 medium red pepper - cored and diced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced or pressed (1 tablespoon)
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes - diced (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 can tomatoes - (14-ounce/400 gram) diced or crushed
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 can light coconut milk - 14-ounces/400 ml
- 1 ½ cups cannellini beans - or other white beans
- 17.6 ounces gnocchi - packaged or fresh (see notes 2 and 3)
- 2 cups kale - chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a medium soup pot or Dutch oven to medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook them for 2-3 minutes until they soften. Stir them constantly to avoid sticking. Adjust the heat and add water, a tablespoon at a time, if they start to stick.
- Stir in the garlic, sundried tomatoes, and tomato paste and mix them with the onions and peppers (30 seconds).
- Add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast. Stir around for 30 seconds.
- Add the canned tomatoes and vegetable broth. Bring the ingredients to a simmer. Stir the bottom of the pot to clear it. Simmer for 5 minutes to thicken.
- Mix in the coconut milk, white beans, gnocchi, and kale. Cook for about 5 minutes until the gnocchi is tender and the soup has thickened. Check the package instructions for the cooking time of the gnocchi you use.
- Taste, adjust the seasonings. Add salt and/or pepper if desired.
Notes
- The healthiest option is dehydrated or semi-dried tomatoes packed in water. Another option is to make oven-dried tomatoes. If your sundried tomatoes are packed in oil, rinse them in warm water to remove as much oil as possible. Substitute sundried tomatoes with 2 tablespoons of tomato paste.
- I used a 500-gram package of gnocchi. If you are in the US, use a package that's 16-17.6 ounces.
- Check the cooking time on your gnocchi and ensure that it's vegan. You can also find gluten-free gnocchi, many kinds of which are also vegan.
- Store gnocchi soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for 3 months. Reheat on low on the stove or individually, in the microwave. If frozen, thaw before reheating.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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