Creamy Vegan Gnocchi Soup (Olive Garden Copycat) Recipe
This Creamy Vegan Gnocchi Soup is a delicious Olive Garden copycat recipe that's perfect for cozy meals. Made with a medley of fresh vegetables, vegan chick’n strips, and tender potato gnocchi, it's rich, creamy, and full of comforting flavors without any dairy. Featuring a blend of herbs and spices, this soup simmers to perfection in just under an hour, delivering a hearty and satisfying plant-based meal that's easy to prepare and sure to please everyone at the table.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
Vegetables
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced (188g)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 23g or 2 ½ tbsp)
- 3-4 stalks celery, diced (about 160g or 1 ½ cups)
- 5 medium carrots, peeled and diced or shredded (about 220g)
- 2-3 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced (about 440g)
- ½ cup fresh spinach (optional)
Liquids & Broth
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 ½ cups vegetable stock
- 2 ½ cups unsweetened plain oat milk (or unsweetened plain soy milk)
Protein & Gnocchi
- 1 lb potato gnocchi
- 10 oz Morningstar Farms Vegan Chick’n Strips
Herbs & Spices
- ¼ tsp dried ground thyme (or substitute 1 tsp regular dried thyme)
- 2 tsp poultry seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried parsley
- ¼ tsp black pepper (plus more to taste)
- ¾ tsp fine table salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 dried bay leaf
- 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme
- Fresh chopped rosemary, salt & black pepper (to taste for final seasoning)
Thickening Agent
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour (30g)
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add diced onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Then add minced garlic, diced celery, and carrots. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the celery softens slightly.
- Add Potatoes, Spices, and Flour: Stir in the diced Yukon gold potatoes, dried ground thyme, poultry seasoning, garlic powder, dried parsley, black pepper, salt, bay leaf, and the all-purpose flour, making sure the vegetables are evenly coated with the flour to help thicken the soup later.
- Simmer with Broth: Cook the mixture for another minute to toast the flour slightly. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring the soup to a rolling simmer. Cook uncovered for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the soup has slightly thickened.
- Add Dairy-Free Milk and Vegan Chicken: Stir in the oat milk, diced vegan chick’n strips, and fresh thyme sprigs. Let the soup simmer gently for another 10 minutes to deepen the flavors and thicken the soup further. Meanwhile, cook the potato gnocchi separately according to package instructions.
- Finish Soup: Once the gnocchi is cooked and drained, stir it along with the fresh spinach (if using) into the soup. Let the soup simmer on low heat for an additional 3-5 minutes to combine the flavors and soften the spinach.
- Season and Serve: Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning with additional salt, black pepper, fresh thyme, or rosemary as desired. Serve warm and enjoy! The soup thickens further as it cools, and for an even creamier texture, you can optionally stir in ½ to 1 cup of cashew cream before serving.
Notes
- To make the soup creamier, add ½ to 1 cup of cashew cream when finishing the soup.
- You can substitute oat milk with unsweetened soy milk or any other plant-based milk of your preference.
- For gluten-free version, use gluten-free flour substitute and gluten-free gnocchi.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
- Adjust seasoning towards the end since flavors intensify as the soup simmers.
