Oh, man am I excited about today’s recipe! I’m prepping for a fall filled with hearty soups that give you all the cozy feels, but are still mega nutritious. Since going plant based, I knew I would need to do some experimenting to get that same rich taste out of soups without using animal products to do so. This Vegan Zuppa Toscana was one of the first I’ve tested and it does not miss the mark!
If you’ve ever had the Zuppa Toscana (probably at Olive Garden), you know that Italian sausage and bacon bits help give it it’s rich flavor. Instead of these, I chose to sautée finely diced mushrooms and onions before adding garlic and Italian seasoning. I can truly say I did not miss the sausage and bacon in this recipe. Likewise, to give it more “umph” I added cannellini beans and it rounded out the whole dish
Another addition I’ve made in my cooking excursions lately is utilizing vegetable bouillon instead of veggie broth that comes in cartons. I had the idea first to reduce waste, but after experimenting a few times, I realized it adds such a rich flavor! In this recipe, you can use either, but I highly recommend using water and bouillon.
First off, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a dutch oven over a medium-low heat. Dice onions and finely dice a cup of mushrooms so they resemble the size of bacon bits. While those start to sizzle, dice up four large russet potatoes and prepare two cloves of minced garlic. Be sure to stir your mushrooms and onions frequently. When the onions become translucent, add minced garlic and a little extra olive oil, if needed. Garlic burns very quickly, so be sure to stir it around until it becomes fragrant. Then, sprinkle on a tablespoon of Italian seasoning.
Next up, add 8 cups of water and bring to a boil. When the water is boiling, add 8 teaspoons of bouillon (one for every cup of water) and stir to combine. Then, carefully add your potatoes and boil until they are tender and can be pierced with a fork. Reduce heat and pour in one can of unsweetened coconut milk and a can of cannellini beans that have been drained and rinsed. Rinse and roughly chop a head of kale and add it in the last 2-3 minutes of cooking.
That’s it! Sprinkle some chopped parsley and vegan parmesan cheese (I love Minimalist Baker’s recipe) and serve!
I hope you all enjoy this Zuppa Toscana recipe as much as we did. It will be a regular on our cozy dinner menu, for sure! Be sure to post a picture on Instagram using #sngeats if you make it. I would love to see!
Til Next Time,
Jessie
Vegan Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients
- 4 russet potatoes
- 1 head of kale
- 1 diced sweet onion
- 1 cup finely diced mushrooms
- 8 cups water + 8 tsp vegetable bouillon OR 8 cups vegetable broth
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 can unsweetened, full fat coconut milk
- 1 can cannellini beans
- 1-2 tbsp of olive oil
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or pot over a medium-low heat. Meanwhile dice onion and mushroom, then add to the heated pot.
Allow the mushrooms and onions to cook down while you wash and dice 4 russet potatoes and 2 cloves of minced garlic. When the onions become translucent add minced garlic, Tbsp. of Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, stirring occasionally until it becomes fragrant.
Add 8 cups of water and bring to a boil (if not using bouillon, use the vegetable broth in place of water). When the water comes to a rolling boil, stir in 8 tsp vegetable bouillon and carefully add diced potatoes. Boil for approximately 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and can be pierced with a fork.
When the potatoes are done, reduce heat to a simmer and pour in can of coconut milk and can of drained and rinsed cannellini beans. Then, wash kale, remove from stem, and roughly chop. Add kale to the pot in the last few minutes of cooking.
Serve with desired toppings and enjoy!
Notes
To make Whole 30 compliant, ensure that your broth has compliant ingredients and leave out beans! Replace with more mushrooms and onions if desired.
