Vegan gnocchi soup is loaded with vegetables and delicate potato gnocchi dumplings in a savory broth. This copycat Olive Garden vegan gnocchi soup recipe is ready in under 25 minutes! Yum!
My husband and I recently dined at our favorite Italian restaurant in town. They serve a fabulous vegan Minestrone and a salad I love, so we eat there often. On this particular visit, the gentleman beside me ordered a divine gnocchi soup. It was thick and creamy, with little gnocchi floating in the broth. So, of course, I searched the menu to check the ingredients. Although the soup wasn't vegan, I made my version of vegan gnocchi soup. I added some of my favorite veggies and a savory plant-based broth for my vegan gnocchi soup recipe.
Jump to:
Vegan gnocchi soup is a thick and savory soup with a vegetable base flavored with savory ingredients, fresh vegetables, and potato gnocchi.
It's a twist on Olive Garden's Chicken gnocchi soup recipe but vegan!
Even though this soup appears sinful, it is healthy and only contains plant food, a bit of flour, and nutritional yeast. So, dive into a bowl of Olive Garden vegan gnocchi soup!
What is Gnocchi?
Despite popular belief, gnocchi is not pasta. Instead, gnocchi is made of potatoes and formed into dumplings. Although generally served as an entree with various sauces, gnocchi works wonderfully in soups and stews. In addition, most gnocchi is oil-free and vegan.
Gnocchi is available in the pasta section on the shelf, vacuum-sealed, refrigerated, or frozen in most grocery stores.
Even though I plan to make homemade gnocchi soon, I opted for the vacuum-sealed variety today.
Ingredients in Vegan Gnocchi
For this vegan gnocchi soup recipe, I chose De Cecco Potato Gnocchi.
- Mashed Potatoes 80% [Water, Dried Potato Flakes 24% (Potatoes 99%, Spices)]
- Potato Starch 15%
- Wheat Flour
- Rice Flour
- Spices
- Salt
- pH Control Agent: Lactic Acid, Preservative: Potassium Sorbate
But other vegan and oil-free varieties are available for sale as well:
- Bella Terra Organic Potato Gnocchi
- Sanniti Potato Gnocchi
- Delallo Gluten-Free Gnocchi
- Bartenura Potato Gnocchi
- Tuscanini Potato Gnocchi ( mini gnocchi great for soup)
Beware of brands that contain diglycerides and other hidden fat sources for an oil-free version. As a rule, the fewer ingredients in any product, the better.
Varieties of Gnocchi
- Classic potato gnocchi (some varieties contain egg, oil, and cheese, so check the label)
- Sweet potato gnocchi
- Gluten-free gnocchi
- Cauliflower Gnocchi
Vegan Gnocchi Soup Ingredients
Since this soup takes mere minutes, it begins with a trinity of vegetables to start the base. But, honestly, it takes longer to chop the vegetables than to cook the entire soup pot.
- Garlic: I love fresh garlic in almost everything. It has long been known for its heart benefits; spicy food is also good at detoxifying the body. And it is not only antiviral, antibacterial, and antibiotic, but it contains a chemical called allicin, which promotes the production of white blood cells and helps fight against toxins.
- White Onion: Did you know onions contain antioxidants and compounds that fight inflammation, decrease triglycerides and reduce cholesterol levels — all of which may lower heart disease risk.
- Shallot: Shallots add another level of flavor when combined with white onion, garlic, and herbs.
- Celery: Celery has a character leafy and earthy flavor. The leaves have a typical green and slightly bland taste, while the stalk is juicy and salty.
- Mushrooms: I call mushrooms vegan meat. They are so healthy when cooked, so I try to add them to almost every recipe I make.
- Carrots: Carrots add beautiful orange color to the soup as well as sweetness.
- Rosemary: I have a giant rosemary bush in my yard that I love, so I get fresh rosemary all year round.
- Thyme: I prefer fresh thyme over dried thyme.
- Poultry Seasoning: I used Trader Joe's Chicken-Less Seasoning, but all poultry seasoning is vegan, despite including "poultry" in the name. Dried sage and thyme comprise the bulk of the flavor with their highly aromatic aroma and woodsy overtones. Most often, poultry seasoning includes nutmeg, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, and black pepper.
- White Wine: As wine cooks, its flavor becomes concentrated, lending savoriness or sweetness to a dish. Generally, dry red and white wines are recommended for savory dishes.
- Red Pepper Flakes (optional): A few red pepper flakes add additional flavor and a little spice.
- Vegetable Broth: I use organic vegetable broth from Costco in bulk.
- Gnocchi: I used shelf-stable gnocchi located in the pasta section of my grocery store.
- Kale: I love kale in soups because it is sturdy, holds up well to heat, and maintains some structure.
- Plant-Milk Plus Flour of Choice: The flour and plant milk combined create a thickening agent or a roux without using oil and butter. Choose gluten-free flour like chickpea flour or oat flour for a gluten-free option.
- Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast gives it a thick and cheesy taste. Nutritional yeast is an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. It also contains all nine essential amino acids, making it a complete protein like those found in animal products, but it's vegan.
- Salt and pepper: I suggest adding salt and pepper to taste. Both ingredients enhance the flavors of the Olive Garden vegan gnocchi soup.
Vegan Gnocchi Soup Ingredient Substitutions
- One clove of fresh garlic equals ¼ teaspoon of granulated garlic powder. The exact conversion applies to dehydrated or freeze-dried garlic or even minced refrigerated garlic. So if you don't have garlic or garlic powder but garlic salt, you can reach for that.
- Yellow onions are often substituted for white onions in cooking.
- Onions, leeks, garlic, scallions, garlic scapes, and chives have a similar flavor to shallots and work as replacements in different recipes.
- Fennel and jicama are excellent substitutes for celery in recipes. However, fennel tastes like raw licorice. When cooked, fennel becomes sweeter, but it still has a different flavor than celery.
- Substitute dried rosemary for fresh rosemary in many recipes, especially cooked recipes. For example, use 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary for 1 tablespoon fresh, so a 1:3 ratio of dried to fresh rosemary.
- Dried herbs can be more potent than fresh herbs. This means you need fewer dried herbs than fresh ones when substituting one for the other. A good rule of thumb is 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs = 1 teaspoon of dried herbs.
- Apple cider vinegar or apple juice replaces white wine in cooking. The alcohol in the wine cooks off, but if you don't have wine or don't drink wine, these substitutions work well.
- Choose any greens you prefer to substitute for kale.
- Use soy sauce, tamari or miso paste if you don't have nutritional yeast.
How to Make Vegan Gnocchi Soup Recipe
- First, cook the garlic, onions, and celery, and then add the mushrooms and carrots.
- Then, add the herbs and spices, allowing them to flavor the vegetables.
- Next, add the vegetable broth and plant milk mixture.
- Bring to a boil and add the gnocchi, followed by the kale.
- Both the gnocchi and the kale take minutes to cook.
- Because gnocchi cooks so quickly (2 minutes), working quickly is essential.
- I suggest serving this soup with Italian chopped salad and thick, crusty bread!
Recipe FAQs
No! Some gnocchi brands are made with egg and cheese. Also, if you eat an oil-free plant-based plan, look for hidden fat in ingredients such as partially hydrogenated coconut or palm kernel, hydrogenated soybean, etc.
This soup will keep for 3-4 days in your fridge. But … the gnocchi will get very soft. So if you know that you'll have leftovers or are meal-prepping this soup, it's best to cook the gnocchi separately and add it to your bowl.
Freeze vegan gnocchi soup for up to 3 months. Then, thaw the soup thoroughly before reheating. If the texture is thicker than desired, you may have to add additional water, broth, or plant milk.
Tips
- If using frozen gnocchi, the cooking time is the same (2-3 minutes) as the prepackaged gnocchi, but cover the pot while the gnocchi cooks and do not reduce the heat.
- Nutritional yeast provides a "cheesy flavor." Soy sauce, liquid aminos, tamari, or miso paste is an excellent substitute for nutritional yeast.
- When freezing soup, always leave at least an inch between the top of the soup and the container's lid. This prevents freezer burn.
- To expedite chopping vegetables, I suggest using a vegetable chopper. It saves a ton of time, and the vegetables are chopped the same size.
- And if you love gnocchi, try Tomato Gnocchi Soup, Sun Dried Tomato Gnocchi, and Tuscan Gnocchi Recipe!
Try this Olive Garden vegan gnocchi soup; it's so savory and delicious that it will be on your weekly rotation in the fall and winter!
The Best Vegan Soups are so Easy to Make!
If you love this vegan gnocchi soup recipe, give us a 5-star review and comment below. We would love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
Soup Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ small white onion diced
- 1 small shallot diced
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 8 ounces mushrooms Sliced
- 2 carrots sliced thin
- 1 Tablespoon rosemary fresh is best, chopped
- 1 Tablespoon thyme fresh is best, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Chickenless Seasoning or poultry seasoning
- 2 Tablespoons white wine
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 16 ounces gnocchi oil-free (package sizes vary between 15-17.5 ounces; close enough is fine)
- 2 cups Kale or greens of choice, chopped
- 1 cup plant-milk plus 2 Tablespoons of flour of choice for gluten-free choose gluten-free flour like chickpea flour
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Stovetop Directions
- Saute on medium-high heat garlic, onions, shallots, and celery until onions are translucent.
- Add carrots, rosemary, thyme, poultry seasoning, and red pepper flakes (if using)
- Add the mushrooms and cook until mushrooms start to brown
- When the vegetables start sticking to the bottom of the pan, add the wine. Stir.
- Add the vegetable broth, plant milk blended with flour, and nutritional yeast and bring it to a boil.
- Add gnocchi, stir, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 2-3 minutes, uncovered (unless using frozen gnocchi; then cover for the same amount of time.
- Add the chopped kale, stir, and it will wilt immediately,
- Remove from heat.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add more red pepper flakes if desired.
- Serve with crusty bread and a large green salad.
Crockpot Directions
- Add the first 12 ingredients into the base of the crockpot (garlic-vegetable broth)
- Cook covered for 4-5 hours on high.
- Blend plant milk with flour and nutritional yeast and add to crockpot
- Reduce to low heat setting on the crockpot.
- Add the gnocchi, stir, cover, and cook for 4 or 5 more minutes.
- Turn off heat and add kale, and stir. Kale will wilt immediately.
- Serve
Instant Pot Directions
- Set Instant Pot on Saute setting
- Add the garlic, wine, carrot, shallot, onion, celery, and mushrooms.
- Stir in 4 cups of veggie broth, stirring frequently.
- Saute for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add rosemary, poultry seasoning, red pepper flakes (if using), and thyme.
- Flavor mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
- Set Instant Pot to soup setting and set a timer for 15 minutes.
- Allow Instant pot to release for about 5 minutes naturally and then quick release.
- Return to Saute mode and add the gnocchi, plant milk blended with the flour, and nutritional yeast.
- Now add kale and stir the soup for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Video
Notes
- If you can't find Trader Joe's Chicken-less Seasoning, it is available on Amazon. Or replace it with poultry seasoning (also vegan).
- When freezing soup, always leave at least an inch between the top of the soup and the container's lid. This prevents freezer burn.
- To expedite chopping vegetables, I suggest using a vegetable chopper. It saves a ton of time, and the vegetables are chopped the same size.
- I suggest using soup cubes to freeze soup. They are divided into portions and the silicone structure makes them perfect for freezing soups and stews.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Rochelle Huber
Yum!! A wonderful soup for any time but particularly good during this cold snap we're having! It is so good and I'll definitely make it again!! The only stray from the recipe was that I left out the wine. It is such a tasty soup - thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Richelle, I'm so glad you liked the soup. The wine is optional, so you didn't miss anything. Thanks for the feedback. I appreciate it.
Steve
I've had this recipe saved for months but never got around to making it. With the brutal cold this week, I decided to give it a try...make a batch just for lunch at work. OMG, am I glad I did! This is by far one of the best soups I've made! I LOVE IT! Thanks Kathy!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Steve, I'm glad you got a chance to make the soup. I'm sorry it's so cold. Stay warm. Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe. I appreciate it.
Stacy Truax
Made this last night for friends and they loved it! I did as well...but I am vegan and they are not. Your recipes are the best!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Stacy! Thank you so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and comment. I'm happy you and your friends enjoyed the soup. Its always a bonus when the non-vegans in the group like it, too.
Althea Bosworth (Adi)
This sounds great. I'll be making it minus mushrooms and onions (as usual - we don't eat them). Your recipes are wonderful. Your teaching experience shows. Love your step by step, clear instructions.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Althea, thank you so much. i am glad you are enjoying the recipes. You can add any veggies you like to the soup.
suzi
What perfect timing !!! I always sub potatoes for gnocchi in soups and had a big lot of them, so tried it with your recipe. Excellent!! Followed the rest but left out mushrooms cuz I was out. Glad I doubled it!! YUM!!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Suzi, I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe. We always double the recipe, too. My husband loves to take it for lunch during the week. Thank you for taking the time to rate the recipe. I appreciate it.
Lisa
Hello Kathy, Just made your gnocchi soup after running across an oil free gnocchi at my local Trader Joe’s in WA. I had never tasted gnocchi before now. It is very comforting in this delicious and creamy soup. Quick and easy to put together. I’ll be making this again. And, now I’ve gone down the rabbit hole of looking at diy oil free gnocchi. Think I’ll be keeping a stash of them in the freezer! Thank you for the recipe.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Lisa, Gnocchi is one of my favorite comfort foods, too. I always keep a package in the cupboard. Try checking your local grocery store for shelf-stable gnocchi in the pasta section. Most gnocchi don't contain oil, just in case you are craving them and don't want to go to Trader Joe's. Try this one next https://www.kathysvegankitchen.com/tomato-gnocchi-soup/ 🙂
Breanne
This recipe is amazing! I love that it is super quick and easy and it's very tasty. Thank you for sharing 🙂
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Breanne, I'm so glad you enjoyed the gnocchi soup. Thank you for taking the time to rate the recipe. I appreciate it.
Kelli Fisher
This looks amazing! I’m going to add lentils to add protein. Thanks for the recipe!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Kelli, That's a great idea. Let me know how it goes!
Nicole Gray
OMG this looks SO DELICIOUS. If only I could find gluten-free gnochi!!!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Nicole, there is chickpea gnocchi, which is gluten-free, and cauliflower gnocchi as well. I have found it at Kroger (Fry's) as well as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's. I hope that helps.
Kathi
Delicious! I could only find mini gnocchi, so cooked that separately (knowing for sure there would be leftovers since I’m the only one to eat it!) and added to my bowl after cooking the soup. Definitely will make this again. I probably used at least twice the kale called for, just because it needed to be used up BUT would do it again! Looking forward to eating this for supper the rest of the week!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Kathi, I'm so glad you enjoyed the soup. Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Laura M
This soup is amazing! Easy, delish, and satisfying. Definitely a keeper. I subbed Herb de Provence for thyme and rosemary as that is what I had on hand. I used spinach and just put it in the bottom of the bowls and ladled soup over. That way I don't end up with overcooked greens in reheated leftover soup.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Laura, I love Herb de Provence seasoning...good call! I also love your idea of putting the spinach in the bottom of the bowl. Thanks for the suggestions. I'm so glad you liked the soup. It is in our rotation at my house, too.
Irene Fernandez
Very easy to make, I used more almond milk than water, actually made it creamier. I was a little heavy handed with the red Chile pepper flakes, will use less next time! I added the gnocchi and greens about 30 min. before dinner time, that worked out well. I’ll make this again and when I do, I’ll make a double batch!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Irene, I'm so glad you enjoyed the gnocchi soup. Thank you for the feedback. It was great to hear from you.
David
Made this last week, it was yummy! Even better on the reheat the next day. Will definitely be making again, thanks for this recipe!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi David, thanks so much for the feedback. I'm glad you liked the gnocchi soup. I agree; I think most food tastes better the second day after the flavors enhance in the refrigerator. Let me know if you try any other recipes; I'd love your opinion.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi David, thanks so much for the feedback. I'm glad you liked the gnocchi soup. I agree; I think most food tastes better the second day after the flavors enhance in the refrigerator. Let me know if you try other recipes; I'd love your opinion.
Elaine
Very very good! Made it last night.
Steve
Can you suggest another "chicken less" seasoning (aside from poultry seasoning)? No longer available on Amazon or at TJs.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Steve, the poultry seasoning at your local grocery store is plant-based despite the "poultry" label.
Brigit
The soup looks fantastic and I will definitely give it a try. I am really curious what your favorite Italian restaurant is in town. I am in Rochester Hills… And always looking for great minestrone and salad.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Brigit, I live in Scottsdale, Arizona now. However, when I did live there I LOVED Bigalora. They have a great minestrone soup and several vegan salads.
Brigit
Thank you!
Jill
Made this tonight on the stovetop, and it turned out FANTASTIC! My vegetarian teen daughter and her omni boyfriend both went back for a second bowl, and my omni hubby commented that it was delicious! I love it when I find WFPB recipes that we all enjoy!
Carol Bradstreet
This looks great. One note: the "print" button wasn't working for me. It just jumped back to the very top of the page.
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Carol, thanks for letting me know. It's fixed now.
Grace
Kathy, this was amazing! OH MY GOSH! I have to admit, that it tasted great even before I added the gnocchi. I will definitely be making this again. It was a huge hit, even my non vegan daughter loved it and our youngest son, 25, who has autism, who is extremely picky...loved it thank you!!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Grace, I'm so glad everyone liked it. Thank you so much for the feedback. I appreciate it. It's always a win when the whole crew likes it. Today I posted a new soup with gnocchi. Let me know what you think if you try it.
Denise
I just made this tonight.
I used 1 tsp of the chickenless seasoning and one tsp of the poultry seasoning since I had both on hand. I used Aldi's spinach gnocchi and sub baby spinach for the kale.
It came together quick and easy on the stovetop. It was outstanding!
This is definitely going in the front of the soup file!!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Denise, I'm so glad you enjoyed the soup recipe. Thank you for reaching out. I appreciate the feedback.
Grace
This looks amazing. I am cooking in my slow cooker as we speak. I did "cheat" a bit so it's not 100% no oil as I did buy Trader Joe's cauliflower gnocchi for it. but other than that all else is plant based. I will let you know what our family thinks of it.
it looks amazing
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Grace, your secret is safe with me. Let me know how it goes. I'm looking forward to your thoughts.
Grace
Kathy, this was amazing..and i have to say, it tasted great even before I added the gnocchi to it..YUM. Will definitely make again
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Grace, I'm so glad you liked the soup. Check out the tomato gnocchi soup I posted as well as the Tuscan gnocchi recipe I posted today. I'm obsessed with gnocchi right now 🙂
Marilyn
This looks YUMMY! And easy! Question: For stovetop the cooking time is very short. For the instant pot (15 min) and crock pot (4 hrs) the time is long. Why is the stovetop so short? I am guessing it has to do with sautéing veggies ahead but even with that, does it take 30 minutes to thoroughly heat the gnocchi in a crockpot or what?
Thanks for helping me understand the chemistry. And unlike some sites, thanks for continued yummy recipes that I REALLY DO make!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Marilyn, the stovetop cooking time is quick because the gnocchi cooks quickly in the boiling pot. The crockpot, because it is at a controlled temperature, is not as hot. You can check it, but the gnocchi was still firm and not soft even 15 minutes in when I did it. I'm so glad you enjoy the recipes...and actually make them 🙂