Vegan Gnocchi Tomato Soup
This Vegan Gnocchi Tomato Soup is creamy, savory and packed with wholesome ingredients. A satisfying soup ready in 30 minutes, which makes it perfect for a fun lunch or dinner option.
Every day of the year is soup season as far as I’m concerned. So, I’m always in my element this time of year. And let me tell you, this gnocchi tomato soup is one of the best soups I’ve made in a long time. And it’s amazing because there are so many layered flavors in it.
Did I mention it also has 3 different types of tomato including sun-dried tomatoes that helps to make our broth rich and packed with umami flavor. The acidity is balanced with some cashew cream. And to make it more of a meal I added both chickpeas and some gnocchi. It’s a really good soup!
Why You’ll Love this Vegan Gnocchi Tomato Soup
- Comes together quickly. Takes 30 minutes to cook with minimal chopping required.
- Indulgent, but nourishing. Made using simple, wholesome ingredients that provide a good representation of all your macronutrients including protein, carbohydrates and fats and also some other vital nutrients such as iron, calcium, filling fiber, vitamin B12, zinc, potassium and magnesium.
- Full on flavor. By layering ingredients and focusing on adding multiple points of umami flavor, this soup really kicks up the flavor easily.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
- Gnocchi: I used mini gnocchi, but regular gnocchi works super well. Check ingredients as some styles of gnocchi might add egg. For the most part, a lot of shelf-stable gnocchi can be naturally vegan.
- Chickpeas: To make life easy, I just used canned chickpeas. You can replace with your favorite bean or lentil if desired.
- Tomatoes: We’re using 3 different tomato products in this soup including sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. If you’d like a soup that is not very tomato forward, I have a great Lemon White Bean Potato Soup that is great alternative.
- Seasonings: This includes a mix of spices and herbs including smoked paprika, fennel seeds, parsley, red pepper flakes, and thyme.
- Nutritional Yeast: I love adding nutritional yeast for an extra savory flavor. Fortified nutritional yeast also contains B12, which is fantastic for those following a vegetarian or vegan style of eating. This can also be replaced with shredded vegan parm. And if necessary, you can omit it and also add a splash of soy sauce for some of those umami notes.
- Plant-Based Cream: You can achieve a beautiful cream base without having to use dairy based creams. Some recommendations include cashew cream (blend 3/4 cup of soaked cashews with 1/4 cup water and a pinch of salt), canned coconut milk or commercially prepared plant based creams like this one.
- Red Bell Pepper: You can swap this one with zucchini or carrots.
- Kale: Easy to swap with spinach.
- Aromatics: This includes a lot of garlic and onions. Feel free to use more or less of each based on your personal preference.
How to Make Vegan Gnocchi Tomato Soup
Heat a large pot over medium heat with oil. Add in the onions along with a pinch of salt and sauté until the onions has softened and become translucent. Add in the bell pepper and sun-dried tomatoes and continue to sauté until the bell pepper softens.
Stir in the garlic, cooking until it becomes fragrant, then add in the tomato paste. Cook the paste for 2-3 minutes before adding in the smoked paprika, fennel, and red pepper flakes and continue to stir and sauté to combine.
Add in the chickpeas and stir to coat. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast and thyme. Stir well to combine, bring to a simmer and then cover and cook for 15 minutes.
Pour in the vegan cream, gnocchi, kale and parsley then stir well and allow to cook according to the recommended cooking time for the gnocchi and then serve.
Expert Tips
- Cooking the gnocchi will vary based on the type you use. Check the package instructions to see how long you should cook the gnocchi. Taste it to see if your gnocchi needs more time.
- If you use frozen gnocchi, just add it frozen into the soup to maintain it’s texture. Do not thaw the gnocchi as it will disintegrate into the soup when added.
- Change up the beans or vegetables you use. I used chickpeas because that was what I had on hand. Any canned bean you enjoy can work in this soup as well. Feel free to change up or enjoy additional vegetables in this soup base like zucchini, peas, spinach, etc.
- Choose the cream you prefer. To make this dairy-free I used homemade cashew cream that can also be prepared this way with sunflower seeds for an allergy friendly version. You can also use canned coconut milk or a store bought vegan soy cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Always check the ingredients to make sure it is vegan as this can vary from brand to brand. While there are a number of shelf stable gnocchi that do not contain egg, this should be an ingredient to watch out for when looking at shelf stable, frozen or freshly made gnocchi.
The only ingredient you would need to change would be the gnocchi. Luckily, there are a few brands that have vegan and gluten-free gnocchi. Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s both have a gluten-free version of their label brand, and the brand DeLallo also has a vegan and gluten-free gnocchi as well that you may be able to find at your local grocery store. If unable to find those, feel free to use a gluten-free pasta as an alternative.
Gnocchi typically cooks up quickly. After adding to the simmering soup, wait the recommended cooking time on the package to cook the gnocchi. You may notice more gnocchi start to surface to the top of the soup, but the best way to tell if it is done is to try it. The gnocchi should be soft on the outside with a tender bite in the middle.
Yes, just note that the soup will thicken more as it sits. Once the soup has cooled, store it in a large airtight container or in individual portioned containers. Place in the fridge where it will be good for 4 days. You may also freeze this soup for up to 3 months in your freezer.
You can place the soup in a sauce pan and warm it through for a few minutes. If very thick, you can loosen the broth up with a few splashes of vegetable broth as desired. This soup can also be warmed up in the microwave. Place in a microwave safe dish and cover and cook on high for 1 minute. Give a good stir and microwave again covered for an additional minute or until the soup is heated through evenly.
Nutrition and How to Serve
This soup is balanced with all of our major macronutrients including healthy fats, complex carbohydrates and 15 grams of plant-protein for 1 out of the 6 portions of this soup prepared with the cashew cream. If you make this 4 portions, that protein goes up to 22 grams of protein. Not to mention you are getting a great source of iron (~4mg per serving) and fiber (9 grams per serving) as well as other micronutrients like calcium, magnesium, zinc, and potassium. In other words, this soup is highly nutritious depending on how you serve it.
I like to serve this soup as is with a pinch of extra fresh herbs and nutritional yeast on top. You can also serve a smaller portion of this soup and enjoy it alongside your favorite protein rich sandwich for a fun lunch or dinner option.
More Delicious Soup Recipes to Try
- Chipotle Red Lentil Potato Soup
- Lemony White Bean Potato Soup
- Smoky Chickpea Kale Soup
- Lentil Kale Soup
- Creamy Quinoa Coconut Soup
Vegan Gnocchi Tomato Soup
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: One Pot
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Vegan Gnocchi Tomato Soup is creamy, savory and packed with wholesome ingredients. A satisfying soup ready in 30 minutes, which makes it perfect for a fun lunch or dinner option.
Ingredients
- 1–2 tsp avocado oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- 1/4–1/2 tsp red pepper flakes, optional
- 1, 15 oz can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1, 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 5 cups of vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme, stems removed
- 1 cup vegan cashew cream or canned coconut milk (for cashew cream soak 3/4 cup raw cashew in hot water for 30 minutes, discard liquid and blend cashews with 1/4 cup water with a pinch of salt until smooth)
- 1 package (~500g) of shelf stable gnocchi
- 2 cups kale, roughly chopped
- 3 tbsp fresh parsley, roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat, then add oil to warm through. Add in the onions along with a pinch of salt and sauté until the onions has softened and become translucent.
- Add in the bell pepper and sun-dried tomatoes and continue to sauté for 2 minutes to help the bell pepper soften.
- Stir in the garlic, cooking until it becomes fragrant, then add in the tomato paste. Cook the paste for 2-3 minutes before adding in the smoked paprika, fennel, and red pepper flakes and continue to stir and sauté for an extra minute to combine.
- Add in the chickpeas and stir to coat. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast and thyme. Stir well to combine, bring to a simmer and then cover and cook for 15 minutes.
- Pour in the vegan cream, gnocchi, kale and parsley then stir well and allow to to cook according to the recommended cooking time for the gnocchi. Once cooked, taste and adjust with salt and pepper to taste before serving topped with more fresh herbs as desired.
Notes
Cooking the gnocchi will vary based on the type you use. Check the package instructions to see how long you should cook the gnocchi. Taste it to see if your gnocchi needs more time.
If you use frozen gnocchi, just add it frozen into the soup to maintain it’s texture. Do not thaw the gnocchi as it will disintegrate into the soup when added.
Change up the beans or vegetables you use. I used chickpeas because that was what I had on hand. Any canned bean you enjoy can work in this soup as well. Feel free to change up or enjoy additional vegetables in this soup base like zucchini, peas, spinach, etc.
Choose the cream you prefer. To make this dairy-free I used homemade cashew cream that can also be prepared this way with sunflower seeds for an allergy friendly version. You can also use canned coconut milk or a store bought vegan soy cream.
To make cashew cream soak 3/4 cup raw cashew in hot water for 30 minutes, discard liquid and blend cashews with 1/4 cup water with a pinch of salt until smooth. To make allergy friendly, replace the cashews with sunflower seeds.
If you tried this recipe or any other recipe on the blog, then let me know what you thought in the comments below! And if you loved it, don’t forget to rate it too. Feel free to follow on Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok for the latest nutrition tips and recipe videos.
★ Catherine
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Such a delicious soup that was immediately apparent from the scent of it cooking! I love this recipe and plan on making it again with potatoes instead of gnocchi for a dinner with friends. I look forward to trying other recipes.
So happy you loved it. And love the idea of using the potatoes! 🙂 Thank you Jeanne!
Nom!! I add toasted pine nuts every time I make this (which is often!) thank you
So happy to hear that! The addition of the toasted pine nuts sounds amazing! Thank you for making this! 🙂