Vegan Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup

This vegan Olive Garden gnocchi soup recipe is a perfect copycat for anyone who wants to recreate the comfort of the original without using animal products.

One of my favorite ways to develop recipes is to veganize popular dishes that otherwise contain animal products. From viral TikTok recipes to famous restaurant meals, I love figuring out how to make a delicious variation of the original recipe with whole-food, plant-based ingredients.

After all, you shouldn’t have to miss out on delicious, comforting meals just because you’ve transitioned to plant-based eating!

This gnocchi soup puts a vegan spin on one of Olive Garden’s signature dishes without losing any flavor or nutritional value.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• If you loved the original Olive Garden dish before going vegan or vegetarian, it goes without saying that this is a fantastic alternative!
• You don’t need to be a fan of the original recipe or the Olive Garden chain to enjoy this delicious gnocchi soup. It’s so creamy and delicious, not to mention several veggies it contains.
• As we are heading into the fall and winter season, it’s nice to have a warm, comforting recipe in your arsenal. I can already tell that this vegan Olive Garden gnocchi soup will become a staple in our home this winter.
• It doesn’t take too long to cook! If you have all of the ingredients on hand, it will take you less than half an hour from start to finish, including the dicing.
• If you love meal prep, this is such a great option for lunch or dinner you can quickly reheat on the stove or in the microwave. This recipe lends 4 to 6 servings, and is easy enough to scale up for a larger household.

Italian vs Italian American

Is Olive Garden’s gnocchi soup considered an authentic Italian recipe? While it may be inspired by Italian cuisine, it is a modern creation of the restaurant chain. 

That said, gnocchi soups are not uncommon in Italy. Authentic Italian gnocchi soups may vary by region, but they typically involve homemade gnocchi cooked in a broth with vegetables, herbs, and sometimes meat or cheese. In a sense, the Olive Garden gnocchi soup (and many of their other dishes) follows the same structure in a slightly more “Americanized” way.

However, just because a dish isn’t “authentic” doesn’t mean it can’t be delicious! This vegan Olive Garden gnocchi soup is twice removed from traditional Italian cuisine, and yet it is one of the best meals I’ve had in a while.

How to Make This Recipe

Naturally, it will be much easier if you slice and dice the ingredients before you start the cooking process. In the traditional French culinary world, this is known as mise-en-place.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add celery and onion, then saute for about 5 minutes until the onions start to become translucent and soft.

Next, stir in the garlic and carrots. Add the herbs, spices, and seasoning (salt and pepper). Be sure to incorporate everything evenly together before the next step.

Now it’s time to add flour. This is a common technique in soups and stews to thicken the broth. Stir the flour in and cook everything together for a couple of minutes.

Pour in vegetable broth and soy milk. Once you mix the ingredients together, add the vegan cream of choice and stir again. There should be no clumps but an even mixture.

Bring the contents to a gentle boil, slightly above simmer. Add the gnocchi and wait for it to boil again. Cook for 4-5 minutes until the dumplings are soft and floating to the top.

As the last step, stir in the spinach and serve! 

Hack It!

• Depending on your preference, you may serve this vegan Olive Garden gnocchi soup with a slice of fresh bread, some croutons, fresh herbs, or even a sprinkle of chili flakes.
• If you can’t have gluten or wheat, gluten-free flour achieves a similar effect of thickening the soup. You can also omit this step altogether but the consistency will not be the same.
• Gnocchi traditionally contains wheat flour, but in this day and age, it’s quite easy to find a gluten-free gnocchi at the grocery store. Of course, you can also make your own delicious homemade gnocchi to account for your dietary requirements!
• In terms of vegan cream, you have plenty of options depending on your budget, access, and allergies. I enjoy cashew cream or sunflower seed cream in recipes like this, but you can also use store-bought vegan cream alternatives.
• If you have a soy allergy, any neutral plant-based milk will do. Be sure to use unsweetened milk.

How to Make Homemade Gnocchi

If you want to take it even further, gnocchi is probably the easiest pasta to make at home. Plus, using homemade gnocchi will make your vegan Olive Garden gnocchi soup even more delicious!

All you need are a pound of russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, a cup of all-purpose flour, and half a teaspoon of salt.

• Peel and cook the potatoes until soft, then drain the water and mash your potatoes with salt.
• Wait until the potatoes are cool enough to handle, then start adding flour little by little and mixing until you have a smooth, non-sticky dough. 
• Divide the dough into manageable portions. Roll each portion into a rope about 3/4-inch thick. Cut the ropes into 1-inch pieces and roll each gnocchi across the back of a fork. 
• Refrigerate and use within 3-4 days or lay out your gnocchi on a cutting board lined with parchment paper and freeze.

Remember, practice makes perfect, especially with gnocchi. Don’t get discouraged if your first batch isn’t perfect—they’ll still taste great!

Other Recipes You’ll Love

• Cauliflower Gnocchi
• Roasted Pepper Gnocchi Soup
• Rice Paper Dumplings
• Vegan Tortellini Soup
• Vegetarian Sheet Pan Gnocchi

For even more healthy, plant-based recipes, check out the PlantYou Planner! It’s a digital meal planner that features over 600 delicious vegan recipes! Every recipe, from breakfast and lunch, to Christmas dinner and Valentine’s dessert, can be adjusted to make enough servings for your household size. What’s more, you can take advantage of the FREE beginner vegan meal plan before you make up your mind.

And in case you haven’t got a copy of the PlantYou Cookbook yet, hurry up to enjoy the 140+ recipes that are guaranteed to make your plant-based lifestyle easier and more colorful! 

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