Olive Garden Vegan Gnocchi Soup Copycat

This is a vegan take on Olive Garden’s chicken gnocchi soup: potato gnocchi in a creamy broth of full-fat coconut milk and vegetable stock, with onion, celery, carrot and spinach. Vegan parmesan does the savoury work that the chicken and cream normally do. It takes about 30 minutes from chopping board to bowl.

It is our own copycat, cooked at home, not affiliated with or endorsed by Olive Garden. Like our other copycat recipes, the aim is the same texture and the same comfort without the meat or dairy. You can make this hearty soup with things you probably already have in your kitchen, so it is worth trying before you order takeaway.

Olive Garden Vegan Gnocchi Soup

If you’re on the search for a soup recipe that’s both creamy and comforting, this vegan gnocchi soup is a good place to start. It’s a solid alternative to Olive Garden’s gnocchi soup because it has a similar taste and texture yet does not contain meat or dairy. The soup has a thick broth made with a mixture of coconut milk and vegetable stock, generating a creamy and rewarding base for the soft and chewy gnocchi.

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• The garlic and vegan parmesan cheese give this soup a lot of flavour. This is one of the things that makes it stand out. Non-vegans can still use regular parmesan cheese, but vegans can use the Prosociano Wedge from Violife Foods, which is a tasty alternative that gives the soup an umami taste.
• Aside from how good it tastes, the gnocchi in this soup is the star of the show. It has a soft texture that makes your mouth water with every spoonful. The recipe is easy and quick to make, taking only 30 minutes to finish. You can even slice the veggies ahead of time to make the cooking process even easier.
• Lastly, this vegan gnocchi soup contains flavourful vegetables like celery and spinach. The best bit is that this hearty dish is both tasty and filling, so you’ll feel full and ready to go after eating it. Give it a go and enjoy a bowl of comfort food that’s great for a night in.

Substitutes and Ingredients for Olive Garden Vegan Gnocchi Soup

• Olive Oil - The best olive oil is natural and made by cold pressing.
• Plant-based butter - Whether you are a vegan or not, plant-based butter can give your soup a rich flavour. This is the butter used in the ingredient list below.
• ***Yellow Onion -***Use yellow onion if you want your soup to have a mild sweetness. But don’t worry; you can use white onion instead.
• ***Carrot -***Instead of slicing the carrots, use matchsticks to save time in the kitchen.
• ***Celery -***No celery? Just add more carrots in their place.
• Fresh Garlic - Freshly cut garlic is best, but 1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder can do the trick if you have none.
• ***Dry Thyme, Dried parsley, and Nutmeg -***Italian seasoning can be used instead of this great trio of spices.
• Vegetable Broth - This recipe can use any veggie-based broth you like.
• Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk - This is essential for the soup’s creamy smoothness. Make sure you have a can of full-fat coconut milk.
• Chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans) - Optional, and not in the ingredient list below. If you want them, stir a drained 400 g tin in with the stock. They offer good texture and stand in for the chicken in the original gnocchi soup.
• Vegan Frozen Potato Gnocchi - Several good vegan frozen gnocchi brands are available. Check the label, because some gnocchi contains egg or cheese.
• Vegan Parmesan - Our family prefers Prosociano Wedge vegan parmesan cheese from Violife Foods. Use your preferred vegan cheese if you don’t have any.
• Spinach or Kale - You may use any dark leafy green. It’s generally kale or spinach at our house.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – It’s an odd addition to a soup, but believe me when I say that apple cider vinegar brings out all of the other tastes in the end. Rather than white wine vinegar, you might use red wine vinegar.

Olive Garden Vegan Gnocchi Soup Recipe

This soup has a smooth texture from the potato gnocchi and a mix of fresh vegetables in a creamy broth with herbs. It’s fully plant-based, and even picky eaters tend to go back for a second bowl.

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp of plant-based butter (about 60 g)
• 1 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp of Kosher salt
• 4 Tbsp of All-Purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp of dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp of dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup of onion, finely diced (about 150 g)
• 1 cup sliced carrot (about 125 g)
• 1 cup sliced celery (about 100 g)
• 1 cup shredded vegan Parmesan (about 90 g)
• 1 cup of spinach (freshly chopped, about 30 g)
• 475 ml (16 oz) of full-fat coconut milk
• 450 g (16 oz) frozen vegan potato gnocchi
• 1 litre (33 oz) vegetable broth

Garnish:

• fresh chopped parsley
• vegan Parmesan

Directions

• Start by melting the plant-based butter with the olive oil over medium heat in a large pot or Dutch oven. This will ensure that your soup’s base is smooth and tasty.
• Chop and sauté: Add chopped onion and celery and cook until the onion becomes translucent. Once it’s translucent, add minced garlic and stir for about 30 seconds. This will make your soup smell and taste even better.
• Next, whisk in the flour and cook for about a minute to make a roux. This will thicken it up. Then, add full-fat coconut milk and stir with a whisk until everything is well-mixed. Let it cook on medium-low heat until it thickens.
• Add salt, dried thyme, parsley, and nutmeg, and stir nicely.
• Stir in the vegetable broth and let the soup simmer until it thickens up a bit again. Now is the perfect time to add the sliced carrot, spinach, and pillowy gnocchi.
• Let everything simmer for around 6-8 minutes until the gnocchi is tender, the carrot is just soft and the flavours have mixed. When it smells great in the kitchen, it’s ready.
• Turn off the heat and add some vegan parmesan. Stir it until it’s all melted, and you’ll have a rich, creamy soup.
• Stir through the apple cider vinegar off the heat. It won’t taste sharp, it just lifts everything else.
• Taste and enjoy: Before you serve your soup, taste it and add more salt if you think it needs it. Then pour it into bowls and eat it.

You like Olive Garden’s Gnocchi Soup, but you also like your veggies. Then share this picture of Vegan Gnocchi Soup on your Pinterest board right away. Let’s share the deliciousness and make our taste buds and the world happy.

Video Recipe

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucmCfJileKg

FAQ

Is shop-bought gnocchi vegan?

Often, but not always. Plain vacuum-packed and frozen potato gnocchi is usually just potato, flour and salt, while fresh chilled and filled varieties frequently contain egg, and some include parmesan or ricotta. Formulations differ between brands and between countries, so read the ingredients panel rather than assuming. If egg is present it will be listed in the allergen statement.

Does the soup taste like coconut?

Barely. Full-fat coconut milk is doing a job here that cream normally does, and the garlic, nutmeg, thyme and vegan parmesan cover most of the coconut flavour. If you are sensitive to it, use an unsweetened soy or oat cooking cream instead, though the broth will be slightly thinner and you may want an extra tablespoon of flour in the roux.

Can I make vegan gnocchi soup ahead of time?

You can, with one change. Gnocchi keeps absorbing liquid as it sits and turns soft and bloated overnight, so make the broth ahead and store it without the gnocchi. Reheat gently, then drop the gnocchi in for the last 6 to 8 minutes. The broth keeps for three days in the fridge and thickens as it chills, so loosen it with a splash of stock.

How do I stop the gnocchi going mushy?

Add it at the end and watch the clock. Frozen gnocchi needs only a few minutes in simmering liquid, and it is done as soon as the pieces float and feel tender to a fork. Keep the pot at a lazy simmer rather than a rolling boil, because hard boiling knocks the pieces about and breaks their edges into the broth.

Last Words

I hope you’ve enjoyed my Copycat version of this popular Olive Garden Vegan Gnocchi Soup. If you have any questions or suggestions for this Copycat gnocchi soup, please write your thoughts down in the comment section.

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