Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.
This Vegan Zuppa Toscana simmers vegan spicy sausage crumbles, potatoes, and kale in a garlicky and irresistibly creamy broth. A simple yet cozy and delicious soup you’ll love! Vegan and Gluten-Free, Oil-Free Option.
This Vegan Zuppa Toscana Recipe puts a meat- and dairy-free spin on the viral Olive Garden soup. With potatoes, vegan sausage, and kale simmered in an Italian-seasoned broth, it’s the kind of cozy meal you can curl up with on a chilly day. Grab a hunk of crusty bread for dipping and enjoy!
Table of Contents
A Vegan Twist on an Olive Garden Classic
I always looked forward to “soup Sundays” growing up. Every Sunday, my mom would bake a loaf of bread and make a big pot of veggie soup, sometimes creamy and sometimes tomato-based. It was always the perfect way to spend the day.
Maybe that’s why I love this one-pot Vegan Zuppa Toscana so much. It’s a nostalgic Olive Garden copycat recipe made just the way my mom would. The oh-so savory broth is loaded with creamy Russet potatoes, spicy-ish vegan sausage crumbles, and a little kale for good measure. It truly feels like a warm hug in a bowl!
Ingredients for Zuppa Toscana
This copycat Olive Garden recipe swaps all of the animal-based ingredients for simple vegan substitutes without losing any of the classic creamy, rich flavors:
- Spicy Vegan Sausages: opt for a realistic vegan sausage you can crumble, like Beyond Meat’s Hot Italian Sausage or Impossible Foods’ Spicy Breakfast Sausage Grounds. Both of these options brown well in the pan and give the soup a hearty vibe and a subtle spicy kick. You can use wheat-based vegan sausages as a substitute, but they won’t brown as well and will require more oil to prevent sticking.
- Seasonings: we’re using a blend of nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper.
- Russet Potatoes: these naturally starchy potatoes break down a bit in the broth, making it nice and creamy. If you prefer waxier potatoes, use Yukon Gold potatoes instead.
- Vegan “Chicken” Broth: this is where the soup gets a lot of its savory depth. If it isn’t available where you live, just use vegetable broth instead.
- Kale: go with curly kale or Lacinato kale. Swiss chard, spinach, or collard greens all work well, too.
- Liquid Smoke: the classic zuppa toscana recipe uses bacon, but liquid smoke does a good job of infusing a similar subtle smoky flavor. Remember to start with a little, then continue adding more to taste. This stuff is really potent!
- Vegan Cream: you can use store-bought vegan heavy cream, full-fat oat milk, or a can of full-fat coconut milk.
How to Make Vegan Zuppa Toscana
- Cook the sausage in a large pot over medium heat until it’s browned. Transfer it to a plate.
- Next, sauté the onion in the now-empty pot until it starts to brown. Stir in the garlic, nutritional yeast, and seasonings, and sauté until fragrant. Add the potatoes, broth, water, and liquid smoke to the pot. Mix well, then simmer until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Stir the kale and vegan cream into the soup. Simmer until the kale is tender, then return the sausage to the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide the zuppa toscana between serving bowls and top with black pepper and parmesan. Serve and enjoy!
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Scrape up those tasty brown bits in the pot. You’re going to see a lot of brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot after cooking the crumbled vegan sausages, onion, garlic, and seasonings. Remember to scrape those up with a wooden spoon after pouring in the broth. They’re packed with lots of savory flavors!
- Don’t overcook the potatoes. Russet potatoes have a higher starch content that naturally thickens the soup, but if overcooked, they can break down too much and thicken the broth more than planned. For a creamy, velvety finish, simmer the potatoes just until they’re fork tender.
Serving Suggestions
One serving of this comforting soup is the cure for the winter or rainy day blues! I always add some freshly cracked black pepper and shredded vegan parmesan on top before I hunker down with a bowl. Olive Garden tops theirs with bacon, but this crumbled Smoky Tempeh would be just as good if that’s what you’re in the mood for.
Serve it with a hunk of this No-Knead Whole Wheat Bread for dipping and this Everyday Kale Salad or this Everything Bagel Panzanella Salad on the side for the best cold-weather dinner.
If you’re looking for more comforting vegan soup recipes, you’ll also love this Vegan Minestrone Soup, this Sweet Potato Kale Soup, and this Classic Lentil Soup!
How to Store Leftover Zuppa Toscana
Once the soup is cool, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months. Place the frozen soup in the fridge to thaw overnight before reheating.
The leftovers reheat well in the microwave in 30-second increments (stirring in between) or on the stovetop over medium heat. If the broth thickens too much after cooling, add a splash of broth or water to loosen it up.
Substitutions and Variations
- Vegan Sausage Substitute: You can easily make this soup more wholesome by skipping the vegan sausages. Just add 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning to the pot with the nutritional yeast in Step 2, then stir in 2 1/2 cups of cooked lentils, white beans, or chickpeas with the potatoes in Step 3.
- Oil-Free Option: Sauté the onion and garlic in vegetable broth or water instead of oil, and choose an oil-free vegan sausage (or replace the sausage with lentils or white beans).
- Add More Vegetables: Diced carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, or cauliflower florets can be added along with the potatoes. Just be sure not to overcrowd the pot. You still want plenty of creamy broth in every spoonful!
Recipe FAQs
Zuppa toscana means “Tuscan soup.” The traditional Italian version is a rustic, veggie-packed soup often made with white beans, seasonal vegetables, and sometimes pancetta or bread. The Olive Garden version took inspiration from the Tuscan recipe and made it with potatoes, sausage, kale, bacon, and lots of garlic.
It depends. You can use both the spicy vegan sausage and red chili flakes for a nice kick, or opt for mild vegan Italian sausages to keep the heat down. If you don’t want any spice at all, omit the chili flakes and use mild vegan sausages, lentils, or white beans.
Yes! Sauté the sausage, onion, and garlic in a pan before adding them and everything but the cream and kale to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6 to 7 hours or high for 3 to 4 hours, or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the cream and kale during the last few minutes.
Definitely! Use the Sauté function to brown the sausage and aromatics, then add the broth, water, potatoes, and seasonings. Seal and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes, followed by a quick release. Stir in the kale and cream right after opening the lid, then let the residual heat soften the kale for a few minutes before serving.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Vegan Zuppa Toscana | Olive Garden Copycat
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegan butter divided
- 14 ounces spicy plant-based sausage crumbled* see notes
- 1 yellow onion fine dice
- 1 head garlic minced (about 10 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 3/4 lbs russet potatoes quartered and sliced into 1/2” pieces
- 4 cups imitation “chicken” broth (or sub vegetable broth)
- 4 cups water
- 6 cups chopped kale stems removed
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke optional, for a smoky flavor
- 1 cup vegan heavy cream, full-fat oat milk, or coconut milk
- 1/2 cup vegan parmesan to serve
Instructions
- Brown the Sausage: Warm 1 tablespoon of oil in a large dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, to break it up and brown it evenly. Use a spatula or slotted spoon to transfer the cooked sausage to a plate and set aside.
- Aromatics: If the sausage leaves behind enough oil to coat the bottom of the pot you do not need to add more oil; otherwise, add 1 tablespoon. Add the onion and sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until translucent and beginning to brown. Add the garlic, nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes (if using), and a pinch of salt and black pepper; stir well and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Simmer: Add the potatoes, broth, water, and liquid smoke to the pot and mix well, scraping any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Make it Creamy: Add the chopped kale and vegan cream to the pot and mix well; continue to simmer for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, until the kale is tender. Return the sausage to the pot and mix well, until warmed.
- Serve & Store: Season with salt & black pepper to taste, then serve warm. Divide between serving bowls and top with a generous sprinkle of parmesan and black pepper, or as desired. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Recipe Notes
- Plant-Based Sausage: I recommend using a meat-like sausage for the best results with this recipe. I have made this with both Beyond Meat’s hot Italian sausage (cut the casings and crumble before use) or the Impossible Foods Spicy Breakfast Sausage Grounds. If your sausage is wheat-based, it will not brown as well and you will need to use more oil to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Meat-Free Substitute: Add 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning to the pot along with the nutritional yeast in step 2, then add 2 1/2 cups of cooked lentils or white beans to the pot along with the potatoes in step 3.
Nutrition
This stuff should be called sopa CRACK!!!!! I can’t get enough of it!!!
Hahaha! Thanks Connie 🙂
Wowzers… this recipe is a winner! I used vegan butter, Impossible Spicy Sausage with a dash of onion powder, garlic powder, pepper and Italian seasoning, Better than Bouillon Vegetable base broth and used unpeeled gold potatoes along with Oatsome Organic Oat Milk and a bit less kale than the recipe calls for because of picky eaters.
Other than that, I followed the other recipe ingredients pretty closely and I used refrigerated minced garlic because that’s what I had on hand. I also thickened it up at the end with 2 tsp. of cornstarch mixed with a small amount of water to make a paste and it thickened the soup up to my liking and it also thickens a bit further upon standing.
I made this along with the ingredients to make Olive Garden salad and I made some garlic knots butter breadsticks for the meat eaters in my family.
Definitely a keeper and it’s so easy & simple to make. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the detailed review, Kiki! Happy you enjoyed the recipe. ♥
SO GOOD!!! idk why i didn’t try this one sooner. I’m not a big fan of meat substitutes so i did lentils instead but i did prefer the taste of the soup before adding them, so i’m either going to leave protein out entirely or sub for something else next time. I also used half a can of full fat coconut milk instead of oat and it tasted perfect.
Thank you for the review, Ash! So glad you loved it.
It was delicious it was a hit with the whole family. I use baby red potatoes instead of russets.
So happy your whole family enjoyed it!
Made the soup. loved it.!!
So happy you loved it, Dawn!
So delicious! I cannot get any (good) vegan sausages where I live so I made it with white beans and I used cashew cream, but I think it was still super yummy. Will definitely make this again!
Glad you found it delicious, Julia!
This is a perfect soup for a weeknight dinner. Super yum, easy to make and doesn’t require too many ingredients. I used an Italian-style sausage and the fennel from it added a subtle but lovely touch that really shines against the simple backdrop of the rest of the broth.
Thank you as always, Sam!
Excellent! Perfect blend of freshness and plant fat.
Used coconut milk and tvp sausage. Even better thsn I remember OG’s.
THANK YOU
You’re so welcome, Denise!
Super easy to make and absolutely delicious! This was my first time making a vegan soup!!!!!!!
I’m so glad you loved it, Eileen!
Excellent recipe. My family all loved it. Savory and warming on a cold winters day. we made it with vegan sausage and almond milk and liquid aminos instead of vegetable broth. Most store bought vegetable broths have sugar in them.
This went well. Great recipe!
Thanks Kelly! Glad you and the family enjoyed it
Can this be made in a crockpot?
So long as all of the sautéing steps at the beginning are followed and the oat milk and kale are added in the last few minutes of cooking, this recipe should work in a crockpot. You would just need to adjust cooking time accordingly (likely increase if slow cooking) 🙂