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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
This soup was very easy to make and very good.
thank you so much, olivia!
You never ever disappoint me. Every time it is out of the park. Thank you for good food.
Thank you so much, Tracey! I am so glad you enjoyed this!
After making this to great success, I plan to save it as “Mushroom Chowder,” without the gnocchi. Next time maybe I’ll add corn—voila, corn chowder! and so also with potato, gnocchi, or anything else that seems tasty. When serving with gnocchi next time I think I’ll brown them a little in a pan w/ olive oil, salt and pepper and add them either to the pot at the end or to each serving so they’ll remain somewhat firm with a little tooth to them—more to my taste. Thanks for this wonderful recipe.
You are so welcome! Thank you for the wonderful review!
this is one of the best soups ever 😍 so creamy and delicious, love the chunky ness and it’s so so easy to make. Recommend putting some crispy onions on top for added yumminess 🫶🏼 We don’t have olive garden in the UK but with this recipe we don’t even need it!
I am so happy you enjoyed this emily!!!
Hi! What’s your favorite Parmesan brand? And could I sub arrowroot starch for the flour? Excited to make this!
for vegan use violife!! I think you can do that…. just make sure you mix the arrowroot with a bit to water first!
Thank you for this recipe, Maria. It is so delicious, creamy and satisfying. It had the flavor of cream of mushroom soup. I loved it! It was like a warm hug on a cold day. It’s my kind of soup, nourishing and healthy. It is perfect and so easy to prepare.
I am so glad you loved this! Thanks hun!
Oh Wow Maria, So delicious 😋. Thank you so much.
thank you so much for the love, rose!
This recipe is AMAZING!!! I have a dairy allergy, and so it’s hard to enjoy some of my favorites before the allergy, this soup being one of them. Thank you, seriously!!! And super easy recipe!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe!!! Thank you so much, Jennifer!
Hello! I made this and it tastes so good! Only thing is – I used regular parmesan instead of vegan parmesan, so I am getting a lot of sticky cheese bites. What measurement of regular parmesan do you suggest to use?
hard to say! Sounds like maybe you added too much, I didn’t test it with regular parm, so that may be the slight glich! Just eye ball it as you go!
Highly recommend! This recipe is so creamy and delicious and is literally a warm hug on a cold day! #soulfood
Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you so much for the love, Emily!