I don’t really want to rush time along, but this year winter has rudely muscled its way into spring and I’m aching for sunshine and warm temperatures. This see-sawing act (hot…cold…hot…cold) is getting tiresome.
Because of the lingering chilliness, my stomach is still craving comforting stews and soups. This one is particularly satisfying – very loosely based on an Olive Garden soup. I use homemade sweet potato gnocchi – you can get my recipe here. Or, use store-bought, if you like. Just make sure they’re vegan. For a creamy version, puree the beans before adding them to the soup.
I suggest adding Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No Chicken broth concentrate to this soup even though it contains oil and sugar. The quantity used here, however, is very small so I don’t obsess over it. Of course, you could skip it and add flavor with miso paste, tamari or liquid aminos, if you prefer.
Vegan Chik’n Soup with Greens & Sweet Potato Gnocchi
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 45
- Total Time: 60
Description
Warm up on those breezy, cool spring days with this hearty & satisfying vegan chik’n soup loaded with greens and sweet potato gnocchi.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms + 1 cup boiling water
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 2 large stalks celery, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbsp. nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 vegan chicken sausages (such as Field Roast), sliced into rounds
- 5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1–2 tsp. Better Than Bouillon No Chicken or 1–2 Tbsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 1 15-ounce can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
- 4 cups fresh greens (kale, chard, spinach), chopped
- 2 cups sweet potato gnocchi*, cooked and drained
Instructions
- Place the dried mushrooms in a small bowl and pour the 1 cup of boiling water over them. Stir and let them soak while you prepare the soup.
- In a large pot, sauté the onions, carrots and celery in a splash of water or vegetable broth for 5-6 minutes. Stir in the garlic, nutritional yeast, thyme, black pepper and bay leaf. Add more water or broth to prevent the veggies from sticking, and cook for another minute or so.
- Meanwhile, drain the dried mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid, and roughly chop them. Set aside.
- Add the 5 cups broth to the pot and bring to a boil. Stir in the Better Than Bouillon (or liquid aminos), the beans, and the chopped mushrooms. Turn down the heat and simmer for 30 minutes, or until veggies are very tender. Stir in the greens and gnocchi and cook until the greens are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Discard the bay leaf and divide soup among four big bowls.
Notes
- *Check out my easy, oil-free recipe for Sweet Potato Gnocchi: http://unrefinedvegan.com/2013/04/04/sweet-potato-gnocchi/
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 279
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 1323
- Fat: 2
- Saturated Fat: 0
- Unsaturated Fat: 1
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 54
- Protein: 14
- Cholesterol: 0
Oh yes, you have reminded me of the joys of seitan….. with the husband having recently gone vegan, I KNOW he would LOVE this dish….. plus we are heading into Winter and this seems so warming & comforting. As always, bravo!
Oh seitan would be perfect for Viper! It really is kind of crazy how meaty it is.
Oh, this soup sounds so hearty and delicious! I love gnocchi, but I’ve never considered putting it in a soup before. This sounds like one that would really stick to your ribs. Plus, kale and sweet potatoes are always great together.
You wouldn’t believe (well, you probably would) all of the bad stuff in the Olive Garden version. It’s like they tried to make it as unhealthy as possible.
That seems to be their standard! 🙂
gosh that looks lovely! We’ve had a cool blast of air down my way lately, so this soup would be perfect!
Dang these cold blasts!! I love soup and all, but c’mon :-)!
It’s the same over here with the weather, only it’s not hot and cold, it’s vaguely warm and then cold again. We had hailstones today and it’s nearly May! Definitely a good excuse for more comfort food like this.
Right – vaguely warm – that’s kinda what is happening here, too. We’re back to gray clouds today and little bouts of rain. Spring.
This sounds much better than the OG version! I hate that the days are still cooler, but that does mean more soup!! However I had two days in a row of sunshine! YAHOO!
The Olive Garden version was frightening. Death in a bowl.
This is gorgeous! ♥
Hello, my dear! Why, thank you!
BTW, I’m excited for you to come out w/ your baking soda-free creme. I need it!
I love the gnocchi addition! Looks amazing…creamy soups when it’s cold are the bomb. 🙂
Kel was not thrilled w/ the gnocchi in the soup – he thought they were too big. Mini gnocchi??
Minocchi? 😉
I think you have something there! I like it!
Gnocchi, oh gnocchi how I love you. And in soup? You are my sunshine! Thanks!
Little sweet potato sunshines!
Reblogged this on A Random Harvest and commented:
For the vegan in autumn . . . thanks to An Unrefined Vegan.
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Oh yum, this soup looks so hearty and satisfying! I hope you get warm temperatures that stick around soon!
Today is a perfect example – it’s going to 82 degrees!! In a few days it’ll be back down to the 50s.
Cold again today after delightful weather over the weekend. Blasted spring. This soup would totally fit the bill today.
Yesterday it was in the 80s, today in the 80s and then BOOM – the cold returns. Crazy!
LAME!
Still gotta make your sweet potato gnocchi, that stuff is seriously calling my name.
“Somer….Sooooomer! It’s me, S. P. Gnocchi!”
Get in my belly!
Exactly!
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