This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Ever crave that rich, creamy Olive Garden favorite but wish it was plant-based? This vegan zuppa toscana soup delivers all the classic flavors you love with tender potatoes, savory plant-based sausage, and nutrient-packed kale in a creamy broth. After making nearly every soup recipe imaginable, I stumbled upon traditional Italian Zuppa Toscana and I knew I had to create my own vegan version that would be just as satisfying as the original.
Why You’ll Love This Vegan Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe
- Quick: It’ll only take you about 30-40 minutes to have this ready to warm you up.
- Healthy: I’ve added in things like kale that boost the nutrient content of this soup.
- Comforting: Between the warming flavors and the potatoes, this soup recipe is truly so comforting.
Ingredients
Kale – A traditional Zuppa Toscana ingredient that packs incredible nutrition. A single cup of raw kale contains 684% of your daily Vitamin K, 134% of Vitamin C, 9% of Vitamin B6, and 26% of your daily Manganese.
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.
Field Roast Sausage – This unreal meat replacement provides the perfect savory flavor that traditional Zuppa Toscana is known for while keeping the recipe completely plant-based.
How to Make This Vegan Zuppa Toscana Soup Recipe
- Break up the sausage using your hands, then fry the sausage in a deep pan medium-high heat while stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. When browned (around 5-6 minutes) remove sausage and place onto a plate.
- Add your olive to the pot and heat on medium-high for around 20 seconds before adding the onion. Cook until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- OPTIONAL: Add your white wine of choice and let it reduce to half (about 2 minutes).
- Increase the heat to high, add vegetable stock paste, potatoes, seasoning and herbs and cook for around 5 minutes until potatoes are fully coated. Add enough water just to cover the potatoes and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in the coconut or oat milk, cooked sausage, and kale. Let simmer for 2 minutes, until kale leaves have softened.
Tips and Tricks
- Break up the sausage with your hands before cooking for the best texture
- Add white wine and let it reduce for extra depth of flavor
- Use coconut milk or oat milk for the perfect creamy consistency
Variations
Get creative and make this vegan zuppa toscana your own:
- Greens: Traditional zuppa toscana uses kale, but you can swap it for mild Swiss chard, tender baby spinach, or hearty collard greens. Each green offers different nutrients and textures.
- Potatoes: Replace white potatoes with Yukon golds for a buttery texture, sweet potatoes for extra vitamins, or cauliflower for a low-carb alternative. Red or purple potatoes will add beautiful color and more antioxidants.
- Milk: While coconut milk adds richness, try unsweetened oat milk for a neutral taste, cashew cream for extra protein, or homemade almond milk for a lighter soup. Each brings different nutrients and textures.
- Non-vegan: If you are not vegan or vegetarian, you can use Italian sausage instead of Field Roast, heavy cream instead of coconut milk, and add crispy bacon bits on top for a traditional version of this soup.
Best served with
- Crunchy Feta, Olive and Spinach Wrap
- Whipped Feta with Roasted Garlic, Red Pepper and Chili Olives
- Vegan Olive Salsa
- Plant Based Greek Platter Drizzled in Olive Oil
How to Store Leftovers
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Common Questions
The name Vegan Zuppa Toscana in Italian is actually a broad term that means “Tuscan Soup”. This kind of soup got its North American popularity thanks to Olive Garden, who knew. Well, hunny, this ain’t no Olive Garden and I’m here to take us back under the Tuscan sun for a more traditional vegan option.
Remove it completely or swap it for spinach instead.
Traditional Zuppa Toscana is known for its sausage, bacon, and heavy cream. This vegan version uses Field Roast sausage and non-dairy milk, creating the same delicious flavors while being completely plant-based.
Yes! While this recipe uses coconut milk, you can use any non-dairy milk like almond or cashew milk.
Yes! Let it cool completely and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw and reheat when ready to consume.
Save this recipe for later
Watch the Video
Ingredients
- 2 field roast Italian sausages
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ½ cup dry white wine, optional
- 1 ½ tbsp. vegetable stock paste
- 3 large russet potatoes scrubbed, rinsed and cubed – cut evenly
- season to taste
- 2 tbsp. dried basil
- 1 tbsp. dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes optional — adjust to your taste
- enough water to cover the potatoes, around 4-5 cups
- 1 can coconut milk or oat milk
- 3 cups chopped kale hard stems removed – can also use spinach or fresh green chard
- garnish with fresh lemon and vegan parmesan
Instructions
Start Cooking- Break up the sausage using your hands, then fry the sausage in a deep pan medium-high heat while stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. When browned (around 5-6 minutes) remove sausage and place onto a plate.
- Add your olive to the pot and heat on medium-high for around 20 seconds before adding the onion. Cook until soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- OPTIONAL: Add your white wine of choice and let it reduce to half (about 2 minutes).
- Increase the heat to high, add vegetable stock paste, potatoes, seasoning and herbs and cook for around 5 minutes until potatoes are fully coated. Add enough water just to cover the potatoes and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in the coconut or oat milk, cooked sausage, and kale. Let simmer for 2 minutes, until kale leaves have softened.
- Serve hot with vegan parmesan and a dash of lemon!
59 people are discussing this recipe. Join in
This is our favourite soup. Unlike anything else. Just a wonderful combination of flavours and textures. I’d probably eat every day if I could, it’s that delicious.
Yes Lucy! Thank you so much for the love. I am so glad you love this recipe as much as we do!
You will not be disappointed with this soup! I’ve made two weeks in a row and it keeps getting better and better!
Thank you so much Courtney! I love this dish so much!
This is one of my favorite recipes! It’s so easy and simple to make but provides such a punch of flavor. Trust me this is a must have in your recipe rotation
Yes!!! So glad you love it. Honestly this soup blows my mind. It’s so good.
I really love soup, Not only is soup easy to make.
Awesome! Glad you liked it!
Made this today – like a hug in a bowl! So hearty and comforting 🙂
My husband and I LOVE your recipes and this one did not disappoint. We’re always so impressed. This soup is full of flavor and makes us want seconds and thirds. Thank you for sharing these recipes with us!
I usually don’t like those vegan meats. Could I just omit the sausage? Or replace it with something else? Thanks. I’m excited about trying this!
You could try! That’s not how the recipe was developed, what if you tried vegan meat with legumes etc? It needs that Hearty component.
you are so welcome, I am so grateful for you!!!
Thanks so much for the love hun!