Creamy Vegan Potato Sausage Soup
Ingredients
- 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp ground paprika
- 1 lb fingerling potatoes, halved (or Yukon gold potatoes)
- 4 1/2 cups vegetable broth (I used water +1 tbsp better than bouillon paste)
- 7 ounces vegan Italian sausage of choice
- 1/2 cup unsalted (raw or roasted) cashews
- 1 1/2 cups filtered water
- 5 springs of thyme
- 6 ounces (about half a bag) frozen gnocchi, I used cauliflower gnocchi
- 2-3 cups chopped kale
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chili pepper flakes for garnish
Preparation
In a bowl add 1/2 cup cashews, cover with boiling water and let sit for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile in a large pot over medium heat add 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, add onions and garlic and saute for 3 minutes then add in celery, ground paprika and saute for an additional 5 minutes.
Add halved potatoes into the pot the follow it with a pinch of salt and ground pepper. Carefully pour in the broth. Bring to low-medium heat.
Drain cashews and add to a blender followed by 1 1/2 cups filtered water. Blend on high for 1 minute. Carefully pour your fresh cashew milk directly into the pot. Let soup simmer for 15-18 minutes.
Meanwhile in a pan crisp up (sliced) vegan sausage. Depending on what vegan sausage you get…you may or may not need oil in the pan. I added a bit of oil and cooked my sausage for a couple minutes on each side the seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper. Remove from pan then add a tsp of oil and add gnocchi. Cook on each side for a couple minutes until golden and cooked!
Add kale, then continue to cook, until the kale has wilted. Once the soup has cooked for 20-25 minutes total, and the potatoes are cooked, taste and add salt to taste then turn heat off and serve! Top off with sausage and crispy gnocchi! Add chili pepper flakes, crack of pepper, optional drizzle of good quality evoo and a sprig of thyme!
