Vegan Zuppa Toscana Recipe (2024)

• 3 links Beyond Meat Italian Sausage sliced (or 24 oz mushrooms)
• 2 lb golden potatoes sliced into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 yellow onion diced
• 6 cloves garlic minced
• 7 cups vegetable stock
• 1/3 cup dry white wine or more stock
• 1 tsp olive oil optional
• 5 sprigs thyme
• 1 leaf bay
• 1 tsp red chili flakes or to taste
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 4 cups Lacinato kale chopped (sub with spinach or broccoli)
• 1 pinch ground fennel OPTIONAL
• sea salt to taste

Cashew Cream

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1 cup filtered water
• 1/2 tbsp tapioca OPTIONAL

US Customary - Metric

Make the Cashew Cream:

• Start by soaking the cashews in hot water for 20 minutes while you prep your soup. Drain the soaked cashews then add them to a powerful blender together with one cup of filtered water and the tapioca. Blend until smooth and creamy. (The tapioca is totally optional, only use it if you prefer a thicker soup, it is very rich and creamy without it).

  1 cup raw cashews, 1 cup filtered water, 1/2 tbsp tapioca

Make the Soup:

• Preheat a heavy bottom pot over medium flame. Add the olive oil and sausage and pan sear for a few minutes until golden brown. Transfer the sausage to a bowl and keep warm.

  3 links Beyond Meat Italian Sausage, 1 tsp olive oil

• Add the onion and red chili flakes to the sausage drippings and cook a few minutes until translucent. Stir in the garlic, cook until you can smell its fragrance then pour in the white wine. Use a flat wooden spoon and scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan until the wine has evaporated.

  1 yellow onion, 6 cloves garlic, 1 tsp red chili flakes, 1 pinch ground fennel, 1/3 cup dry white wine

• Add the sliced potatoes, thyme, bay leaf and smoked paprika then pour in the veggie stock. Bring to a simmer, add the nutritional yeast and a pinch of sea salt. Cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until the potatoes have softened but still hold their shape. Check after 5 minutes and keep a close eye on them.

  2 lb golden potatoes, 7 cups vegetable stock, 5 sprigs thyme, 1 leaf bay, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

• A couple of minutes before the potatoes are ready add the chopped kale. Give everything a good stir then mix in the cashew cream. Simmer another minute or so until the kale has wilted and the soup is creamy.

  4 cups Lacinato kale

• Add the cooked Beyond sausage back into the soup, adjust seasonings and serve hot with freshly cracked black pepper on top.

  3 links Beyond Meat Italian Sausage

WFPB Method

• To make this Zuppa Toscana whole food plant based compliant simply replace the olive oil with a splash of veggie stock and the Beyond sausage with 24 oz of your favorite mushrooms. Add a pinch of ground fennel to make up for the authentic Italian sausage flavor.

Instant Pot Method

• Set your Instant Pot to the high sauté setting. Add the olive oil and Beyond sausage slices and sautee a few minutes until golden brown. Add the onion and red chili flakes and continue cooking until the onion is translucent. Pour in the white wine and scrape all the little brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Cook until the wine has evaporated.

• Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, thyme and smoked paprika.

• Add the sliced potatoes, veggie stock and nutritional yeast.

• Select manual setting, adjust pressure to high and set time for 4 minutes. Once finished cooking quick-release pressure according to the Instant Pot manufacturer’s instructions.

• Meanwhile prepare the cashew cream then add it to the soup together with the kale. Cook one or two minutes until the kale has wilted.

• Adjusting seasonings to taste with sea salt and black pepper and serve.

• Low Calorie Option - To make this soup lower in calorie you can use a mix of golden potatoes and cauliflower florets.
• Thicker - If you prefer your soup thicker make sure to mix 1 tablespoon of tapioca with the cashew cream or whatever plant based milk you decide to use here.

Course: Soup

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: plant based, potato soup, vegan,, zuppa toscana

Author: Florentina