Zuppa Toscana – Tuscan Soup

Zuppa Toscana, translated, means Tuscan soup. This is my healthier vegan take on the original, and it is just as flavorful and hearty. Win-win!

I really love this soup. It is so creamy delicious and full of colorful vegetables, and the different textures they lend the soup are amazing.

Vegan Dairy Substitutes to use in Zuppa Toscana

Ok, let’s get started.

The typical version has carrots, celery, onion, zucchini, potatoes, tomatoes, kale and beans. BUT it also has lots of meat and dairy.

Good thing we have so many excellent vegan choices. Click the link above for non-dairy options.

Plus you have plenty of vegan sausages to choose from:

5 Best Vegan Sausage Brands (I typically use Beyond Meat sweet or hot Italian).

Here are two homemade versions. (I haven’t tried them yet, but let me know if you have/do.)

Vegan Italian Sausage Crumbles

And

Homemade Spicy Italian Sausage

The ingredients we use to make zuppa Toscana are easily found in your market year round. And I have made this during the summer months too.

It honestly is not a heavy soup. You can make it much thicker, by breaking up pieces of toasted Italian bread into it. Then it’s like a tasty stew.

In Tuscany, they use an unsalted rustic bread. If yours has sodium, then I would adjust the amount in the soup.

For a lighter zuppa, you can also forego crushing up half of the beans and use less sausage.

I enjoy how versatile this is, and you can easily customize to your preference.

I cooked this batch of zuppa Toscana on the stove top, but I made more yesterday in my Instant Pot.

For that, you choose the “Sauté” setting to cook the veggies and sausage (I cook the sausage in a skillet, so I can drain it, but it’s fine doing it in the IP).

Then once you add the broth and potatoes, choose “Slow Cook” on the high setting. I set the timer for about 1 hour.

Once the potatoes are cooked, I lower the temperature to medium for another hour. You can also choose “low” for longer cooking.

Notes:

I use 2 to 3 Beyond Meat Italian Sausage links, but you can use as much or as little as you like.

They were cut into chunks in the zuppa above. I prefer breaking them up into ground sausage though, and do this while they are cooking.

This way you get a flavorful mix in every spoonful. YUM!

As for the kale, it does make a difference what type you use. The best for this is Lacinato kale.

Lacinato Kale is also known as Tuscan Kale, Dinosaur kale, Toscano kale, and palm tree kale.

If you cannot find it, and use less tender kale, then add it in with the potatoes. (It will need more cooking time.)

The tomatoes, well I like to toss them in at the end- with the half and half. I love their fresh taste and texture.

If you want more tomato flavor seeped into the zuppa Toscano, then add it in with the beans.

Have fun experimenting and enjoy!

Vegan Zuppa Toscana

Print Recipe

Serves: 8 to 10 Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 to 3 carrots, finely chopped
1/2 to 1 pound Italian style vegan sausage chopped into little chunks
1 small zucchini, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning
1 (32 ounce) container vegetable broth
OR 4 cups of homemade vegetable broth
1 pound russet potatoes scrubbed, peeled, cubed
2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 medium Lacinato kale, stripped from stems and chopped (3 -4 cups)
1 cup non-dairy half and half
salt and pepper, to taste
1 to 2 tomatoes, chopped (optional)*

Instructions

In a large stockpot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the onions, celery, and carrots, and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.

Add the sausage and zucchini to the pot and cook with the vegetables for an additional 5 minutes.

-OR- cook the onion mixture for 10 minutes (adding the zucchini in the last 5 minutes).

AND fry the sausage in a skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, breaking it up with a spoon or spatula); drain and add to the soup pot.

Add garlic and Italian seasoning and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.

Add the broth and potatoes to the pot and cook on medium high for 15 minutes. Add up to 1 cup of water, if the broth is not enough to cover the potatoes.

Mash half of the beans with a fork. Add all the beans and **kale, and cook until potatoes are fork tender, about 5 minutes longer.

Turn off the heat, but keep the pot on the burner, and add the half and half. Stir and add salt and pepper to taste.

Remove from heat and serve with rustic Italian bread, and top with non-dairy cheese if you like.