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Move over, Olive Garden. I’ve been inspired to put a vegan spin on a classic dish and created this creamy spinach and mushroom vegan gnocchi soup. It’s so buttery and flavorful I don’t even know where to start.
My creamy spinach and mushroom vegan gnocchi soup is silky, smooth, and delicious. Yes, that may be the only accurate way to describe it. It’s hearty, nourishing, will warm you up, and inspired by the classic Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup! But in Classic FoodbyMaria fashion – I MADE IT VEGAN! BOOM!
Maria Koutsogiannia
Maria is the creator of FoodByMaria and your go-to Greek food expert for cozy, flavor-packed recipes. Inspired by her Mediterranean roots, she brings traditional Greek flavors, feel-good ingredients, and a whole lot of joy to everyday cooking.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Gnocchi Soup
- Buttery: There are no words to describe the gnocchi in this soup other than BUTTERY. The best part – other than the melting gooeyness of gnocchi in your mouth- is that this recipe is simple and only takes 40 minutes to make.
- Veggie-Packed: Loaded with powerful-tasting veggies like mushroom and spinach that add both nutrition and incredible flavor.
- Restaurant-Quality: This soup rivals anything you’d find at a restaurant but is made completely plant-based in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
Gnocchi – These pillowy potato dumplings are the star of this vegan gnocchi soup. Go for a good quality gnocchi, ideally from your local market – the fresher the better! When cooked in the soup, they become perfectly tender and literally melt in your mouth with each bite, absorbing all the incredible flavors of the broth.
Coconut Milk – The secret to creating that silky creaminess without dairy in this vegan gnocchi soup. Make sure you use a high-fat coconut milk – this will help take on the role of the traditional cream that is usually used. Don’t worry, the coconut flavor doesn’t overpower; instead, it adds a subtle sweetness that complements the savory elements perfectly.
How to Make Vegan Gnocchi Soup
- To a large stockpot at the olive oil and heat on low-medium for 30 seconds before adding onions and celery. Cook them down for around 8-10 minutes, or until translucent, extremely fragrant and soft.
- To the pot add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook down for 10 minutes on medium-high heat. Stir often to avoid burning.
- Once your mushrooms have reduced by almost half, add the flour and stir till the ingredients are all well coated. Add the thyme, salt and pepper to the pot and stir well. Increase heat to high and add vegetable stock. Bring mixture to a boil then to a simmer. Add gnocchi and cook for 5-7 minutes before adding coconut milk, spinach or kale and parmesan cheese.
- Check for seasoning before enjoying it immediately. Garnish with more parmesan and drizzling of olive oil!
Tips and Tricks
- Flavor Building: Be patient while sautéing the onions and celery – this is where you develop the foundational flavor.
- Mushrooms: Allow mushrooms to fully release their water for maximum flavor concentration.
- Coconut Milk: Add this at the end to prevent separation during long cooking.
- Parmesan: PARMESAN CHEESE! Yes, caps lock is needed. This is non-negotiable; it completely transforms the dish!
Substitutions
- Greens: Swap spinach for kale, Swiss chard, or even arugula for different flavor profiles.
- Mushrooms: Any variety works – cremini, shiitake, or portobello all bring unique flavors.
- Milk Alternative: Unsweetened cashew cream or oat cream can replace coconut milk.
- Parmesan: Regular parmesan works if you’re not vegan. For vegans, Violife’s Prosociano Wedge is excellent.
Best served with
- Italian Chopped Salad
- Quick and Easy Focaccia Bread
- Apple Caprese Sandwich
- Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto
How to Store Leftovers
I always recommend that any soup with noodles or gnocchi should have these components stored separately so the soup base doesn’t just get absorbed. Store the broth in an airtight container for up to 5 days, with the gnocchi separate. Reheat gently on the stovetop.
Common Questions
Absolutely! While fresh market gnocchi is wonderful, a good quality packaged gnocchi works perfectly well in this recipe.
Not at all. The savory elements in this vegan gnocchi soup completely balance out any coconut flavor, leaving just the creaminess.
Adding white beans or chickpeas would increase the protein content and make this vegan gnocchi soup even more substantial.
Yes! Make the soup base completely, but add the gnocchi, spinach, and vegan parmesan just before serving. This ensures perfect texture.
A crusty bread for dipping is perfect. A simple side salad with a light vinaigrette also complements the richness of the soup beautifully.
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Ingredients
- 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium-sized white onion, finely chopped
- 3 medium-sized celery sticks, finely chopped
- 3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped or pressed
- 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp fresh cracked pepper
- 5 cups vegetable stock or 5 cups hot water and 1 tbsp. vegetable stock paste
- 1 lb (454 grams) potato gnocchi
- 400 ml can unsweetened coconut milk – full fat
- 2 cups packed fresh kale or baby spinach
- 1 cup vegan parmesan
- *See notes below for non-vegan ingredient swaps!*
Instructions
Start Cooking- To a large stockpot at the olive oil and heat on low-medium for 30 seconds before adding onions and celery. Cook them down for around 8-10 minutes, or until translucent, extremely fragrant and soft.
- To the pot add the garlic and mushrooms. Cook down for 10 minutes on medium-high heat. Stir often to avoid burning.
- Once your mushrooms have reduced by almost half, add the flour and stir till the ingredients are all well coated. Add the thyme, salt and pepper to the pot and stir well. Increase heat to high and add vegetable stock. Bring mixture to a boil then to a simmer. Add gnocchi and cook for 5-7 minutes before adding coconut milk, spinach or kale and parmesan cheese.
- Check for seasoning before enjoying it immediately. Garnish with more parmesan and drizzling of olive oil!
95 people are discussing this recipe. Join in
I’ve made this soup 3 times now. It’s so good!!! Try drizzling a little truffle oil on top when you serve it. It’s a game-changer. Thank you for such a great recipe.
You’re so welcome!!! Truffle oil and this combo is amazing!!!!
Made this tonight! It was so easy to make and it was AMAZING. Definitely will be making this as part of my rotation. I did substitute the potato gnocchi for cauliflower gnocchi. thank you!!!
Yay, this makes me so happy!!!
Sooo delicious and easy to make! Made this with my mama last night. She loves to cook and is really good at it. She has saved your website and will be tackling more recipes this week ❣️This soup will be made on the regular 🤗 thank you!
yeesssss this makes me soo happy
This soup is so simple to make and SO super delicious! Another winning recipe from Food by Maria that will be on the rotation often!
It’s honestly sooo delicious, right?! Thank you so much!
This soup is so yummy! Just made it for my family and it is a hit! Perfect for a cold night. Absolutely loving it right now♥️
Yay, thank you so much for the love, Emily!
YUM! Such a delicious and savoury soup after a day of winter activities. Such simple ingredients and instructions to quickly throw together. Definitely adding this one to our list of favs!
Thank you so much for your love, Bri!!!!!!!!! We love this soup so much too!
Second soup this week and OMG amazing. Once again it’s freaking delicious. I’m obsessed now and can’t wait to try them all. My wife doesn’t even like gnocchi and she loved it.
Yes, this makes me so happy!!
This soup is so easy to make and packed with deliciousness. Don’t let the minimal ingredients fool you. So yummy. Great recipe. 🙂
Thank you so much! I really love this soup!
This is another favorite recipe! Always on our soup rotation and is in my husband top three favorite recipes I’ve ever made! You’re a rockstar.
oh my gosh this is such a huge compliment, thank you so much hun!
This was SO cozy and delicious. We’re not fully vegan, so I used Pecorino cheese, but much less, maybe about 1/3 cup grated, and it was perfect for us. The flavours were great together and the gnocchi took it over the top. Absolute keeper!
This sounds so wonderful, Diana! Thank you so much for your support!
This recipe is WOW! Delicious and so cozy on a cold rainy night. Will definitely make this one again….and again and again!
Thank you so much, Kristie! we just love this recipe too!
Easy and delicious! it was devine smelling the garlic and mushrooms cooking together and love the gnocchi variation for a change in soup! Will definitely make this again.
Thank you so much for the love, Anita! We love this recipe so much!
This soup is the bomb. All the flavors come together beautifully. Delicious and super easy to make. Where have you been all my life Maria 😉
Thank you so much, Kathy! I love this recipe so much! Please let me know what you make next!!!!