• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Loving It Vegan

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Free Ebook
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Free Ebook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About Me
    • Recipes
    • Free Ebook
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Soups

    Vegan Zuppa Toscana

    Published: Jul 15, 2022 Updated: Jul 15, 2022 by Alison Andrews This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Vegan Zuppa Toscana

    Vegan Zuppa Toscana is rich, creamy, hearty and filling. Made in 1-pot with vegan sausage, potatoes and kale for the best tasting soup ever.

    Vegan zuppa toscana topped with crispy fried onions and parsley in a black bowl.

    Zuppa Toscana literally means ‘Tuscan Soup’. It’s traditionally made with Italian bacon and served with toasted Tuscan bread.

    Our version is based on the Olive Garden Americanized version based on potatoes, kale and Italian sausage.

    We used Beyond Sausage Italian Sausage in this soup and were seriously blown away by how hearty and delicious it was.

    It’s really very easy to make, and leftovers are amazing and taste even better, so this is a great option for meal prep as well.

    And if you love hearty soups then you’ll also love our vegan chicken noodle soup, vegan minestrone soup and vegan clam chowder.

    Ingredients You’ll Need:

    Ingredients for vegan zuppa toscana.

    Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

    • Vegan sausage – we used Beyond Sausage Italian Sausage which worked amazingly well. However, you can use any vegan sausage that you have available.
    • Coconut milk – should be canned, full fat and unsweetened. You could also use our vegan heavy cream substitute.
    • Potatoes – starchy potatoes like Russets work great in this soup. They should be peeled and chopped before being added to the soup.
    • Vegan chicken stock – or vegan chicken broth like Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base. Otherwise you can use vegetable stock/broth.
    Vegan zuppa toscana topped with crispy fried onions and parsley in a black bowl.

    How To Make Vegan Zuppa Toscana

    You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.

    • Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, chopped onion and chopped vegan sausage and sauté until the onions are softened and the sausage is browned.
    Vegan sausage, chopped onion and olive oil added to pot and sautéed.
    • Add crushed garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for a minute or two to lightly toast the spices.
    Crushed garlic and red pepper flakes added to pot and sautéed.
    • Add peeled and chopped potatoes, chopped kale and vegan chicken stock to the pot and stir in.
    • Bring it to the boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
    Chopped kale, chopped potatoes and stock added to pot and mixed in.
    • Add coconut milk, salt and black pepper and let it simmer for a minute. Taste test and season with extra salt and black pepper if needed.
    • Mix cornstarch with a little coconut milk (or water) into a slurry. Add the slurry to the pot while stirring and continue to stir until the soup has thickened.
    Coconut milk, salt and pepper added to pot and then thickened with a cornstarch slurry.
    • Your soup is ready to serve.
    Vegan zuppa toscana in a pot with a soup ladle.

    Serving Suggestions

    This soup is really filling and hearty and it has a good amount of protein too, so it can definitely be served as a main course, though it also works great as an appetizer.

    Serve it topped with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, fresh chopped parsley and crispy fried onions with some crusty bread on the side for dipping.

    Crispy fried onions are of course totally optional, but they do look really good on top of this soup and the extra crunch is delicious too!

    If you’re in the mood to bake up some bread then our vegan focaccia would go really well with this.

    Vegan zuppa toscana topped with crispy fried onions and parsley in a black bowl.

    Chef’s Tips

    Thicken with cornstarch. Making a cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with a little coconut milk (or water) and mixing it into a paste and then whisking this into the soup until thickened really brings the whole soup together.

    Before adding the cornstarch, the soup is more like a broth, and the fats from the vegan sausage sort of sit on top of the soup. Whereas once thickened with the cornstarch you have a really delicious consistency. However, it is optional so if you prefer it to stay a broth consistency you can omit the cornstarch.

    Gluten free. This recipe is already gluten free provided the vegan sausages you use are gluten free. The Beyond Sausage Italian Sausage that we used is already gluten free so if you use those as well, then you’re all set.

    Vegan zuppa toscana topped with crispy fried onions and parsley in a black bowl.

    Storing and Freezing

    Keep leftovers stored in the fridge (covered) for up to 5 days. The starch from the potatoes thickens the soup up even more and it just gets even more delicious! Reheat in the microwave or over low heat on the stove until heated through.

    It’s also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave or over low heat on the stove.

    Vegan zuppa toscana topped with crispy fried onions and parsley in a black bowl with a spoon.

    More Hearty Vegan Soups

    1. Vegan Black Bean Soup
    2. Vegan Lentil Soup
    3. Vegan Broccoli Cheese Soup
    4. Vegan Corn Chowder
    5. Vegan Sweet Potato Soup
    6. Vegan Potato Leek Soup

    Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!

    Vegan zuppa toscana topped with crispy fried onions and parsley in a black bowl.

    Vegan Zuppa Toscana

    Vegan Zuppa Toscana is rich, creamy, hearty and filling. Made in 1-pot with vegan sausage, potatoes and kale for the best tasting soup ever.
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Soup
    Cuisine: Italian-Inspired
    Diet: Vegan
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 6
    Calories: 588kcal
    Author: Alison Andrews

    Ingredients

    • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
    • 1 Medium Onion White, Yellow or Brown, Chopped
    • 1 Pound Vegan Italian Sausages (450g) Chopped
    • 3 Cloves Garlic Crushed
    • ¼ teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
    • 2 pounds Potatoes (900g) Peeled and Chopped into ½ inch cubes
    • 2 cups Kale Chopped
    • 5 cups Vegan Chicken Stock (1200ml) or Broth
    • 1 cup Coconut Milk (240ml)
    • ¼ teaspoon Salt
    • ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
    • 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch

    Serving (Optional):

    • Fresh Parsley Chopped
    • Red Pepper Flakes
    • Crispy Fried Onions
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add olive oil, chopped onion and chopped vegan sausage and sauté until the onions are softened and the sausage is browned.
    • Add crushed garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for a minute or two to lightly toast the spices.
    • Add peeled and chopped potatoes, chopped kale and vegan chicken stock to the pot and stir in.
    • Bring it to the boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
    • Add coconut milk, salt and black pepper and let it simmer for a minute. Taste test and season with extra salt and black pepper if needed.
    • Mix cornstarch with a little coconut milk (or water) into a slurry. Add the slurry to the pot while stirring and continue to stir until the soup has thickened.
    • Serve topped with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, fresh chopped parsley and crispy fried onions with some crusty bread on the side for dipping.

    Notes

    1. Vegan sausage – we used Beyond Sausage Italian Sausage which worked amazingly well. However, you can use any vegan sausage that you have available.
    2. Potatoes – starchy potatoes like Russets work great in this soup. 
    3. Vegan chicken stock – or vegan chicken broth like Better Than Bouillon No Chicken Base. Otherwise you can use vegetable stock/broth.
    4. Coconut milk – should be canned, full fat and unsweetened. You could also use our vegan heavy cream substitute.
    5. Thicken with cornstarch. Making a cornstarch slurry by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with a little coconut milk (or water) and mixing it into a paste and then whisking this into the soup until thickened really brings the whole soup together. However, if you prefer the soup consistency to be more of a broth, then you can omit the cornstarch.
    6. Gluten free. This recipe is already gluten free provided the vegan sausages you use are gluten free. The Beyond Sausage Italian Sausage that we used is already gluten free so if you use those as well, then you’re all set.
    7. Storing: Keep leftovers stored in the fridge (covered) for up to 5 days. The starch from the potatoes thickens the soup up even more and it just gets even more delicious! Reheat in the microwave or over low heat on the stove until heated through.
    8. Freezing: It’s also freezer friendly for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave or over low heat on the stove.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1Serve | Calories: 588kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 63mg | Sodium: 964mg | Potassium: 1234mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2266IU | Vitamin C: 55mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 4mg
    DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below, or tag @lovingitvegan on Instagram and hashtag #lovingitvegan
    Get Your Copy! It's FREE!
    « Vegan Refried Beans
    How To Cook Basmati Rice »

    About the Author

    Hi I'm Alison Andrews, I'm the voice and cook behind Loving It Vegan. I love making delicious vegan food and creating vegan versions of all your old favorites, so that you’ll never feel like you’re missing out. Find out more about me here.

    Loving It Vegan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Loving It Vegan will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost to you.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Diane Horst says

      October 08, 2022 at 9:23 pm

      This recipes tastes just like the Olive Garden soup,which was a favorite when I was not a vegan. I’ve tried several recipes which, while good, just didn’t quite make the cut. This is it! I bring this to our pot luck and everyone loves it! Thank you!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        October 10, 2022 at 8:54 am

        Yay! Thanks so much for the amazing review Diane!

        Reply
    2. Rose says

      July 19, 2022 at 10:44 pm

      Soooo good!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 20, 2022 at 11:02 am

        Thanks Rose!

        Reply
    3. Anna says

      July 19, 2022 at 9:35 am

      A nutritious, hearty and tasty soup!5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 19, 2022 at 10:48 am

        Thanks Anna!

        Reply
    4. Jillian says

      July 16, 2022 at 11:37 pm

      P.S. Recipe rating…just saw that.5 stars

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 18, 2022 at 10:33 am

        Thanks so much Jillian!

        Reply
    5. Jillian says

      July 16, 2022 at 11:36 pm

      We had this for dinner tonight! Really good, used field roast fennel sausage. Thanks for recipe.

      Reply
    6. Amy says

      July 15, 2022 at 4:05 pm

      Could you omit or sub something for the vegan sausage?

      Reply
      • Alison Andrews says

        July 16, 2022 at 11:53 am

        You could omit it if you like.

        Reply
      • Faye says

        January 07, 2023 at 7:42 pm

        I’ve used chickpeas in place of vegan sausage before and it was also amazing.5 stars

        Reply
        • Alison Andrews says

          January 13, 2023 at 2:51 pm

          Awesome!

          Reply

    Comment Policy: Your feedback is really appreciated! Please do us a favor and rate the recipe as well as this really helps us! The most helpful comments are the ones that give useful feedback for others who might make the recipe, tell about substitutions you made or adjustments you made and how it turned out, or assisting other commenters. Rude or insulting comments will not be accepted.

    Leave A Comment & Review Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi I’m Alison Andrews! I love making delicious vegan food and creating delicious vegan versions of all your old favorite dishes, so you can have your vegan cake and eat it too!

    More about me →

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest

    Popular Posts

    • Vegan Tuna
    • The Best Vegan Mac and Cheese (Classic, Baked)
    • Vegan Burrito
    • Super Eggy Vegan Tofu Scramble
    • Sliceable Cashew Cheese
    • Homemade Vegan Butter

    Veganuary

    • Vegan Halloumi
    • Vegan Stuffed Mushrooms
    • Vegan Stuffed Peppers
    • Vegan Granola
    • The Best Vegan Waffles
    • Vegan Salmon

    See all Veganuary Recipes →


    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    As Seen In

    Press logos black and white

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Follow Us

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • Pinterest

    Contact

    • About
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 Loving It Vegan

    Get 10 fabulous dinner recipes!
    Absolutely free! Sign up below!
    Get Your Copy! It's FREE!