You will love this vegan Zuppa Toscana recipe. It uses spiced up veggie crumbles and plenty of fresh vegetables as well as cashew cream for that perfect rich and creamy texture. No need for premade sausage! Use my sausage seasoning with mushrooms or veggie crumbles or lentils! Glutenfree, option for Nutfree

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons oil
  • 4 oz mushrooms (chopped really small (white mushrooms or portobello))
  • 2 oz veggie crumbles/grounds or 1 oz soy curls rehydrated and chopped into small crumble pieces, or use 1/2 cup cooked lentils

For the seasonings:

  • 1 teaspoon Italian herbs
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the rest of the soup:

  • 2 medium potatoes (peeled and cubed (or use 3 if you’d like more potatoes))
  • 3 cups of vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

To add later:

  • Cashew cream made with 1/3 cup of cashews + 3/4 cup of water (See notes for nut-free)
  • 2-3 oz Chopped spinach or baby kale (or other chopped greens)
  • green onion, pepper flakes for garnish

Method

  1. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and once the oil is hot add the chopped mushrooms and a good pinch of salt and cook until the mushroom are starting to turn golden on some edges. Then add the veggie crumbles, mix in and cook for one more minute.
  2. Then add the Italian herbs, oregano, fennel seeds, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Continue to cook for 2-5 minutes or until the crumbles start to get crisp. Remove a third to use as topping later
  3. Add the potatoes, veggies stock, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper, and mix really well. Partially cover and cook for 15-18 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked to your preference. Stir once or twice in between.
  4. Meanwhile Make the cashew cream by blending the cashews with water. Blend for 1 minute and let it sit for 5 minutes and then blend again for 30 seconds and repeat 2-3 times until the cashews are really smooth.
  5. Pour the cashew cream mixture into the saucepan and mix well. Bring to a good boil, taste, and adjust salt and flavor. Add in the greens and mix in. Switch off the heat.
  6. Add the veggie crumbles and other toppings of choice such as vegan cheese, chopped green onion, pepper flakes.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.