Vegan gnocchi soup is the most creamy, hearty and comforting soup to make in winter. It's dairy-free, made with coconut milk, loaded with vegetables and super soft gnocchi. All you need is one pot and 35 minutes of time. If you like vegan cream soups, you may also like this vegan cream of chicken soup.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Vegan gnocchi soup is the ultimate comfort food that will instantly warm you up from the inside.
- It is quick to make on cold winter days. It only takes 35 minutes from start to finish.
- This gnocchi soup is nutritious, loaded with veggies and super filling. It makes a great weeknight dinner.
- It is incredibly creamy and rich but actually healthy. No one will guess it's dairy-free.
- This recipe is also vegan, gluten-free and meat-free as it's made without cream and chicken.
Key ingredients and substitutions
Vegetables: onions, carrots and celery make up the base of this soup and give it its incredible taste. It's very important to sauté the veggies in oil before adding the broth and the coconut milk to intensify the flavors of the soup. You can substitute celery with leek or more carrots if you prefer.
Time-saving tip: some supermarkets sell packages of chopped soup vegetables often made from onion, carrots, celery and leek that you can use.
Spices: we like to keep the spices very simple for this soup by using only ground paprika. But you could add some garlic powder, dried thyme and dried sage.
Vegetable broth: it is probably the most important ingredient of this soup as it will influence its taste significantly. We like to use sugar-free bouillon powder to be able to measure the exact amount we add and how intense the broth flavor should be. You can also use jarred, or boxed vegetable broth (it can be fresh or frozen) or a bouillon cube.
Canned full-fat coconut milk. Make sure to use full-fat coconut milk as it is what makes the soup rich and creamy.
Gnocchi: our first choice are the gluten-free gnocchi from Schär. However, you could use any fresh or frozen gnocchi. Although gnocchi are made from potatoes, store-bought ones often contain wheat flour or eggs. Make sure to choose a brand that is vegan and gluten-free to suit your diet (if necessary).
Spinach: to add an extra portion of veggies, we like to add some spinach to the soup. You can use kale instead of spinach if you want.
Elo's tips
- Chop the veggies ahead of time and keep some in your freezer. If you're making a recipe that also uses onions, carrots and celery (such as this vegan cream of chicken soup), chop some more veggies and keep them in a zip bag in your freezer.
- Chop the vegetable into small pieces as the soup won't be blended. They will also cook much quicker.
- To save some chopping time, use the vegetable chopping blade of your food processor if you have one. The veggies will be chopped within seconds.
- Sauté the vegetables in oil first. They will release their aromatic compounds and make the soup much more flavorful.
- Cover the pot while the gnocchi are cooking. Follow the cooking time indicated on the package and make sure your soup is hot (simmering). If using frozen gnocchis don't thaw them first. They could fall apart or get mushy.
- Thin out the soup with more vegetable broth until it reaches your preferred consistency.
- Adjust the seasoning at the end. We always recommend adding salt at the very end, when the soup is already done. Depending on the broth you are using and how salty it is, you may not need to add any extra salt.
Step-by-step with pictures
Wash and chop the vegetables. Mince the onion very finely and cut the vegetables into thin slices. You want to cut the carrots lengthwise in half before slicing them.
Sauté the onion. Heat a Dutch oven, stockpot or any other large pot you have with your preferred cooking oil. When hot, sauté the onion until fragrant (approximately 3 minutes).
Sauté the carrots and celery for several minutes. Stir regularly to prevent them from sticking to the pot. The sautéed vegetables make up the base of this dairy-free gnocchi soup.
Simmer then soup. Add the vegetable broth, coconut milk and paprika to the pot and bring it to a simmer. Let it cook for about 10 minutes with a lid on.
Add in the gnocchi and the spinach. This is a one-pot soup recipe, which means that you can simply cook the gnocchi in the soup. Cover the pot with a lid and wait the amount of time indicated on the package. Do a taste test. If the gnocchi are done (or almost done), add in the spinach. Cover again until it's wilted.
Thin out the soup with more vegetable broth if desired.
Storage and reheating tips
You can store the gnocchi soup in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. If you made some extra servings, don't cook the gnocchi in the soup just yet. It's always preferable to cook the gnocchi in the hot soup shortly before serving to prevent them from falling apart.
You can reheat the soup in a bowl in the microwave or on the stove over low heat. Always cover the bowl with a plate that you turned upside down or the pot with a lid. The steam will soften the gnocchi and prevent them from remaining hard. Note that the soup will thicken when refrigerated as the coconut milk solidifies. You may need to add a splash of vegetable broth (or water) when reheating it.
Yes, gnocchi soup with gnocchi already in it can easily be frozen for up to 1 month if stored in an air-tight container.
Yes, you can freeze left-over, uncooked gnocchi. Store them in a zip bag.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make the soup ahead of time but preferably cook the gnocchi shortly before serving.
The three best options to make a dairy-free vegan cream soup are full-fat coconut milk, non-dairy milk with a little bit of cornstarch or adding 2-3 heaped tablespoons of cashew butter to the soup.
If you know you'll have leftovers, it's best to save some of the soup and only cook the amount of gnocchi you'll eat in one serving.
Gnocchi soup is very nutritious and filling, which means that you can eat it as a main dish. You can serve it with some roasted vegetables or a salad on the side.
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The recipe
Vegan Gnocchi Soup
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- Measuring cups or a kitchen scale
- Dutch oven or large pot
Ingredients
- 3-4 medium carrots
- 4-6 celery sticks with leaves
- 1 onion
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or preferred cooking oil
- 2 cups (500 ml) vegetable broth more as needed
- 14 ounces (400 ml) canned full-fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 6 ounces (150 g) fresh baby spinach
- 10.5 ounces (300 g) gluten-free gnocchi
Instructions
- Wash the carrots and the celery. Cut the carrots lengthwise in half and into thin slices. Cut the celery into slices (see step-by-step pictures in post above).
- Finely mince the onion.
- Heat a Dutch oven or large pot with avocado oil (or your preferred cooking oil). When hot, sauté the onion over medium-high heat until translucent.
- Add in the carrots and celery and sauté for 5 minutes while stirring frequently.
- Pour in the vegetable broth and the full-fat coconut milk. Add in the paprika. Cover with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat.
- Add in the gnocchi and cover with the lid again. Cook for 2 minutes or according to the time indicated on the package. Finally, add in the spinach and wait until welted. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Add more vegetable broth if you prefer a thinner consistency.
Notes
- Time-saving tip: some supermarkets sell packages of chopped soup vegetables containing onions, carrots, celery and leek that you can use.
- Substitutions: You can substitute celery with leek or more carrots, and spinach with kale.
- Spices: we like to keep it very simple for this soup but you could add some garlic powder, dried thyme and dried sage.
- Broth: we like to mix bouillon powder with water to create a slightly stronger broth that balances out the coconut flavor.
- Cover the pot while the gnocchi are cooking. Follow the cooking time indicated on the package and make sure your soup is hot (simmering). If using frozen gnocchis don't thaw them first. They could fall apart or get mushy.
- Thin out the soup with more vegetable broth until it reaches your preferred consistency.
- Storage tips: you can store the gnocchi soup in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. If you made some extra servings, don't cook the gnocchi in the soup just yet. It's always preferable to cook the gnocchi in the hot soup shortly before serving to prevent them from falling apart.
- Reheating tips: you can reheat the soup in a bowl in the microwave or on the stove over low heat. Always cover the bowl with a plate that you turned upside down or the pot with a lid. The steam will soften the gnocchi and prevent them from remaining hard.
- Note that the soup will thicken when refrigerated as the coconut milk solidifies. You may need to add a splash of vegetable broth (or water) when reheating it.
Nutrition
More creamy vegan soups
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Easy to make and so delicious! Thanks for this great recipe!!
I'm so happy to read this! Thank you for sharing Margaux!
The soup tasted soooo good and it was super easy to cook! I really recommend!
Yay! So happy to read that you enjoyed the soup!
I used a slightly smaller can of unsweetened full fat coconut milk than this recipe indicates, but I could not get past the coconut taste.
I had to drastically change the profile of the soup to salvage it (added jalepenos, mushrooms, tons of cilantro, lime, some tomatoes, some cannelini beans)....to help drown out the sweet broth flavor...or at least give it more of a thai flavor.
I really wanted to like this recipe as is...but thought it might be helpful to post my experience and alterations in case someone else has the same experience.
Hi Brittany! Thank you for your feedback, it's indeed always helpful to me and to other readers 😊
I guess that the type of broth that you use is decisive in this recipe. I personally use bouillon powder mixed with water, which allows me to make the broth a little stronger in flavor and balance out the coconut taste (I will add that to the recipe notes). You could also try adding a little tamari (gluten-free soy sauce).