I just made the kind of Vegan Comfort Food that sneaks pillowy chickpea gnocchi into an insanely creamy veggie broth and you need to see how it all happens in 30 minutes.
I adore this Creamy Vegan Chickpea Gnocchi Soup because it hits every craving with zero fuss. I love how the chickpea gnocchi feels like little pillows and how a sautéed yellow onion brings depth.
I’m obsessed with Vegan Comfort Food that actually makes dinner exciting, not boring. And I keep making it on loop when I want something hearty but meatless.
It’s the kind of Vegan Soup Recipes I brag about to friends. Simple, loud flavors.
Big texture. Pure comfort, but not saccharine.
I want seconds, and I don’t want to share. No guilt, just ridiculous spoonfuls I hoard honestly.
Ingredients
- Olive oil: it’s the slick, warming start that carries flavors.
- Yellow onion: sweet backbone, makes the broth cozy.
- Carrots: crunchy, a touch of natural sweetness.
- Celery: crisp vegetal note, brightens every spoonful.
- Garlic: punchy savory kick, you’ll smell it first.
- Dried thyme: earthy herb hint, subtle and homey.
- Dried oregano: rustic, a little Mediterranean familiarity.
- Bay leaf: background herbal depth, almost invisible comfort.
- Crushed red pepper: optional heat, wakes everything up.
- Vegetable broth: savory liquid base, keeps it light.
- Chickpea gnocchi: pillowy, fun texture and more protein.
- Chickpeas: creamy bites, adds fiber and plant protein.
- Raw cashews: creamy body when blended, makes it rich.
- Plant milk: smooths the soup, keeps it dairy-free.
- Baby spinach: fresh green lift, wilts into the broth.
- Lemon juice: bright acid punch, cuts through richness.
- Salt and pepper: basic seasoning, essential balance.
- Fresh parsley: herbaceous finish, a parsley pop.
Ingredient Quantities
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 12 to 16 ounces chickpea gnocchi (fresh or frozen)
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes (for creaminess)
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or other plant milk
- 2 cups baby spinach or chopped kale
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for serving
How to Make this
1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring now and then, until they start to soften, about 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Add the minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 bay leaf and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes if using, and cook for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant.
3. Pour in 4 cups vegetable broth, stir in the drained 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, bring to a simmer and let everything cook for 5 minutes so the flavors marry.
4. While soup simmers, drain the 1/2 cup raw cashews that were soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, then blend them with 1 cup unsweetened almond milk until very smooth to make a quick cashew cream. If your blender struggles, add a splash more plant milk.
5. Add the cashew cream to the pot, stir well and keep the soup at a gentle simmer. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf if you remember, many people forget so try not to.
6. Add 12 to 16 ounces chickpea gnocchi (fresh or frozen) straight into the simmering soup and cook according to package directions, usually 3 to 5 minutes, until the gnocchi are pillowy and cooked through. Give them a few gentle stirs so they don’t stick together.
7. Stir in 2 cups baby spinach or chopped kale and cook just until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. The greens should still be bright, not overcooked.
8. Finish with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, taste and adjust salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, add a splash more vegetable broth or almond milk. If you want it richer, a little extra cashew cream helps.
9. Serve hot, sprinkled with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, just reheat gently so the gnocchi doesn’t get rubbery.
Equipment Needed
1. Large heavy-bottomed pot (big enough for soup and gnocchi to simmer)
2. Chef’s knife and a cutting board (for onion, carrots, celery and parsley)
3. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula for stirring
4. Blender or high-speed blender to puree the soaked cashews into cream
5. Colander or fine mesh strainer to drain chickpeas and cashews
6. Measuring cups and measuring spoons (for broth, oil, spices and cashew cream)
7. Ladle for serving and checking liquid levels while cooking
8. Can opener and a pair of tongs or slotted spoon to gently stir gnocchi so it doesnt stick
FAQ
Creamy Vegan Chickpea Gnocchi Soup Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- 2 tablespoons olive oil → avocado oil or light olive oil: both handle the sauté heat well and give a neutral flavor, use same amount. If you use sesame oil it’ll be stronger so go light.
- 12 to 16 ounces chickpea gnocchi → potato gnocchi or store-bought cauliflower gnocchi: potato gnocchi will give a more classic pillowy bite, cauliflower gnocchi keeps it lower-carb but may be a bit more fragile, cook gently.
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked → silken tofu or 1/2 cup soaked sunflower seeds: silken tofu blends into a silky cream with less fat, sunflower seeds give a similar nutty creaminess for nut-free diets, soak sunflower seeds 15 minutes first.
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk → oat milk or light coconut milk: oat milk gives a neutral, slightly sweet creaminess, light coconut milk adds a hint of coconut flavor and thicker texture, use same volume.
Pro Tips
1. Toast the onion, carrot and celery a little longer till they brown at the edges, it builds flavor way more than just softening them. Don’t rush this step, stir more than you think you need to and lower the heat if they start to burn.
2. If your blender struggles with the cashews add more plant milk and blend in short bursts, scraping down the sides between bursts. You want the cream totally smooth or it’ll feel grainy in the soup. Also, you can soak cashews longer in cool water if you have time, they get silkier.
3. Cook the gnocchi directly in the simmering soup but only stir gently and only a couple times while they cook. Over stirring makes them sticky and gummy. If leftover soup thickens too much the next day, thin with a splash of broth or almond milk and reheat slowly.
4. Season in layers. Add a little salt when the vegetables are sweating, taste again after the cashew cream, then adjust at the end with lemon and more salt. The acid at the end brightens everything, so don’t skip the lemon juice.
Creamy Vegan Chickpea Gnocchi Soup Recipe
I just made the kind of Vegan Comfort Food that sneaks pillowy chickpea gnocchi into an insanely creamy veggie broth and you need to see how it all happens in 30 minutes.
4
servings
452
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large heavy-bottomed pot (big enough for soup and gnocchi to simmer)
2. Chef’s knife and a cutting board (for onion, carrots, celery and parsley)
3. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula for stirring
4. Blender or high-speed blender to puree the soaked cashews into cream
5. Colander or fine mesh strainer to drain chickpeas and cashews
6. Measuring cups and measuring spoons (for broth, oil, spices and cashew cream)
7. Ladle for serving and checking liquid levels while cooking
8. Can opener and a pair of tongs or slotted spoon to gently stir gnocchi so it doesnt stick
Ingredients
-
2 tablespoons olive oil
-
1 medium yellow onion, diced
-
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
-
2 celery stalks, diced
-
3 garlic cloves, minced
-
1 teaspoon dried thyme
-
1 teaspoon dried oregano
-
1 bay leaf
-
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
-
4 cups vegetable broth
-
12 to 16 ounces chickpea gnocchi (fresh or frozen)
-
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
-
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes (for creaminess)
-
1 cup unsweetened almond milk or other plant milk
-
2 cups baby spinach or chopped kale
-
1 tablespoon lemon juice
-
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
-
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Directions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring now and then, until they start to soften, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 bay leaf and 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes if using, and cook for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in 4 cups vegetable broth, stir in the drained 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, bring to a simmer and let everything cook for 5 minutes so the flavors marry.
- While soup simmers, drain the 1/2 cup raw cashews that were soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, then blend them with 1 cup unsweetened almond milk until very smooth to make a quick cashew cream. If your blender struggles, add a splash more plant milk.
- Add the cashew cream to the pot, stir well and keep the soup at a gentle simmer. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf if you remember, many people forget so try not to.
- Add 12 to 16 ounces chickpea gnocchi (fresh or frozen) straight into the simmering soup and cook according to package directions, usually 3 to 5 minutes, until the gnocchi are pillowy and cooked through. Give them a few gentle stirs so they don't stick together.
- Stir in 2 cups baby spinach or chopped kale and cook just until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. The greens should still be bright, not overcooked.
- Finish with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, taste and adjust salt and pepper. If the soup is too thick, add a splash more vegetable broth or almond milk. If you want it richer, a little extra cashew cream helps.
- Serve hot, sprinkled with 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley. Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, just reheat gently so the gnocchi doesn't get rubbery.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 583g
- Total number of serves: 4
- Calories: 452kcal
- Fat: 26.4g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Polyunsaturated: 3.9g
- Monounsaturated: 11.3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 540mg
- Potassium: 825mg
- Carbohydrates: 89g
- Fiber: 15.3g
- Sugar: 13g
- Protein: 19.8g
- Vitamin A: 4750IU
- Vitamin C: 12mg
- Calcium: 193mg
- Iron: 4.6mg