Thick, creamy, and delicious, this vegan gnocchi soup is going to be a new favorite! Soft pillowy gnocchi, fresh veggies, and amazing Italian flavors easily come together all in one pot. Your cozy soup is just 30 minutes away!
Watch out Olive Garden, this homemade vegan version of their chicken dumpling soup has the new dinner spotlight! It tastes like an intense labor of love but is actually incredibly quick and simple to make. Your friends and family won’t even know it’s vegan!
Reasons You’ll Love this Recipe
- Full of amazing flavor and very filling
- Dinner is ready in less than 30 minutes
- Is fully vegan, dairy-free, eggless, and meat-free
- Easily comes together in one pot with simple ingredients
- Tastes even better than Olive Garden’s chicken and gnocchi soup
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Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Gnocchi - Potato gnocchi is the star of this soup. Look for it in the pasta aisle of your local grocery store or amongst the frozen potatoes. Most are naturally vegan, but you might want to check the ingredients just in case.
- Dairy Replacements - Plant-based butter such as Country Crock or Earth Balance work in this recipe. For milk, I use soy because it has less of a flavor but you can use another kind such as almond, oat, or even coconut.
- Vegetables - The fresh veggies in this gnocchi soup are white onions, carrots, garlic, and baby spinach. Yellow onion works just as well. You can also slice the carrots instead of shredding them if you want more of a hearty bite. You can even add other veggies to this soup like celery, potatoes, mushrooms, or kale.
- Soup Thickener - All-purpose flour and cornstarch help create a thick and creamy soup. Whole wheat flour can be used instead. Skip the cornstarch if you’d rather have a thinner soup.
- Broth - I use low-sodium vegetable broth for the added flavor that it brings to the soup. Alternatively, you can use water or vegan bouillon mixed with water.
- Seasoning- Poultry seasoning and Italian seasoning are both found in the spice aisle at the store. They are conveniently made up of a combination of seasonings that I like to have on hand.
How to Make Vegan Gnocchi Soup
Here are some quick visual steps. Find the full recipe with exact measurements on the recipe card below.
- Prepare the Vegetables - Dice the onions, shred the carrots, mince the garlic, and coarsely chop the baby spinach.
- Sauté the Vegetables - Bring a large pot to medium-high heat. Add the vegan butter to the pot and let it melt. Then, sauté the onions for about 3 minutes. Next, add the carrots and garlic. Stir as they cook for about 2 minutes.
- Add the Flour - Lower the heat level to medium. Add the flour to the pot and stir everything until the veggies are fully coated with it. This should only take about 1 minute.
- Add the Liquid and Seasoning - Using a fork or whisk, mix the cornstarch into the plant-based milk until it’s lump-free. Stir in the vegetable broth, plant milk/cornstarch mix, and all the seasoning to the pot. Stir occasionally as the soup cooks and thickens for 10 minutes.
- Add the Gnocchi and Spinach - Add the gnocchi and let it cook for 5 more minutes. Finally, remove the pot from the heat, stir the baby spinach in, and enjoy!
Notes
- Use any plant-based milk such as soy, almond, oat, or even coconut.
- If your gnocchi is frozen, keep it in the freezer until you’re ready to add it.
Recipe Variation Ideas
- Include diced celery, potatoes, mushrooms, kale, or chickpeas.
- You can use water or bouillon instead of vegetable broth.
- Omit the cornstarch and/or add more broth if you want a thinner soup.
- Kick up the spiciness with a pinch of cayenne.
- Add vegan chicken to the soup during the last 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle in some vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast before eating.
FAQs
How can you tell when gnocchi is fully cooked?
Bite into or cut a gnocchi dumpling after it has cooked for 6 minutes. It is done when the gnocchi is soft on the outside and tender on the inside.
Can you make gnocchi soup ahead of time?
This soup can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for 4 days or the freezer for 3 months. If frozen, thaw it out in the refrigerator overnight or on the defrost setting of your microwave before reheating it.
How do you reheat leftover gnocchi soup?
Reheat the soup over medium-low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave. It will thicken over time, so you’ll want to add water or more vegetable broth to thin it out as it’s reheating.
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Related Recipes
Vegan Gnocchi Soup
Thick, creamy, and delicious, this vegan gnocchi soup is going to be a new favorite! Soft pillowy gnocchi, fresh veggies, and amazing Italian flavors easily come together all in one pot. Your cozy soup is just 30 minutes away!
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Servings: 5
Calories: 239kcal
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- ½ cup white onions, diced
- ⅓ cup carrots, shredded
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups vegetable broth, low-sodium
- 2 cups soy milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 16 ounces potato gnocchi
- 1 cup baby spinach, chopped
Instructions
- Dice the onions, shred the carrots, mince the garlic, and coarsely chop the baby spinach.
- Bring a large pot to medium-high heat. Add the vegan butter to the pot and let it melt. Then, sauté the onions for about 3 minutes. Next, add the carrots and garlic. Stir as they cook for about 2 minutes.
- Lower the heat level to medium. Add the flour to the pot and stir everything until the veggies are fully coated with it. This should only take about 1 minute.
- Using a fork or whisk, mix the cornstarch into the plant-based milk until it’s lump-free. Stir in the vegetable broth, plant milk/cornstarch mix, and all the seasoning to the pot. Stir occasionally as the soup cooks and thickens for 10 minutes.
- Add the gnocchi and let it cook for 5 more minutes. Finally, remove the pot from the heat, stir the baby spinach in, and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Use any plant-based milk such as soy, almond, oat, or even coconut.
- If your gnocchi is frozen, keep it in the freezer until you’re ready to add it.
Recipe Variation Ideas
- Include diced celery, potatoes, mushrooms, or kale for added veggies.
- You can use water or bouillon instead of vegetable broth.
- Omit the cornstarch and/or add more broth if you want a thinner soup.
- Kick up the spiciness with a pinch of cayenne.
- Add vegan chicken to the soup during the last 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle in some vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast before eating.
Storage
This soup can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days or the freezer for 3 months. If frozen, thaw it out in the refrigerator overnight or on the defrost setting of your microwave before reheating it.Reheat
Reheat the soup over medium-low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave. It will thicken over time, so you’ll want to add water or more vegetable broth to thin it out as it’s reheating.Nutrition
Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 33.8g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 7.6g | Saturated Fat: 2.5g | Sodium: 835mg | Potassium: 338mg | Fiber: 2.6g | Sugar: 6.6g | Calcium: 58mg
The nutrition information is estimated and can vary depending on brands and measurements used.
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Nicole
5 stars! So easy and delicious. Perfect for a chilly night. Also quick to make so great for a weeknight. Thank you for a great recipe, Bonnie! Will put this in regular rotation 😃
Bonnie
Yay! I'm so happy to hear that you liked it!
Valeria
Absolutely amazing! As soon as I saw this I knew I had to make it. Omnivore family and friends approved too!
Bonnie
Thank you! I'm so glad you all liked it!!
truffleshuffle
Followed this recipe to a T and it was fantastic. So luscious and creamy without being heavy like animal dairy. It's also so versatile and creates a nice base for a lot of other applications like mushroom soup, veggie pot pie, etc. Really nice.....thanks. 👍
Bonnie
I'm so glad you liked it and I love your ideas of other ways to use it!
Dharma
Eating this as I type & it is SO GOOD!! I used kale instead of spinach because it was ready in the garden, so I cooked the kale a bit longer than I would have with spinach. So easy we’ll be making this often, thank you!
Bonnie
I'm so happy to hear this and kale in the soup sounds delicious!
Amanda
Is the gnocchi precooked or does tossing it in the broth at the end get the job done? I'm using frozen gnocchi.
Bonnie
Gnocchi, whether frozen or not only needs a few minutes to cook in hot soups. I would check the instructions on the label, but yours should only need 3-5 minutes at the end of the soup.
Cherie
I know this is going to be good but if you don’t have kale, mushrooms, or spinach what would you suggest for a veggie a green veggie to add to the soup. Does it have to have a green vegetable? I’m about to make it tonight. It looks super delicious. I’ll send updates once complete.
Bonnie
Hi Cherie, You can add celery or broccoli at the same time as the carrots; however, you definitely don't have to add any of those green veggies. Happy cooking!!
Sue Maxwell
Wonderful soup! Made it exactly as written. My new go to comfort soup for sure!
Bonnie
That's so wonderful to hear, Sue!!
Dan
Looks delicious, can’t wait to try. Would gluten free flour have the same result as the regular all purpose flour?
Bonnie
Hi Dan! Yes, any flour should work as a soup thickener. I have had great results with a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour in this soup. Hope you love it!
Allison
This soup was the first intentionally vegan dish I’ve ever cooked and it was out of this world. I cooked a pot of soup using this recipe and another pot with chicken that followed Olive Garden’s recipe. The vegan soup was far superior on flavor - by a long shot! I added mushrooms and substituted the soy milk for Silk’s dairy free half and my god what a treat. My partner had eaten the whole pot by the next morning! Adding this recipe to the regular rotation.
Bonnie
Hi Allison, I'm so happy to hear that you all liked this soup! Your changes sound delicious!
Jackie
Excellent. I made with oat milk.
Bonnie
I'm so glad to hear that you liked the soup, Jackie!
Cassie
I loved it! Super easy and doesn't take hours to make. I'm going to use a little less salt next time if pairing with vegan "better than bullion" chicken broth. This kind of reminds me of my old favorite Olive Garden soup. I would highly recommend this recipe!
Bonnie
I'm so happy to hear that you loved the gnocchi soup, Cassie!!
Julie Kohlenberg
Super delicious for a non-vegan!
Bonnie
Great to hear and thank you!
Nancy Hill
It’s delicious!!! I’ll make again. I didn’t have spinach so I used one cup of cooked kale, drained from a can.
So good!!! Canned kale is very low in sodium.
Bonnie
Yum! Cooked kale sounds delicious and I'm so happy to hear that you liked the soup!