pesto gnocchi zuppa toscana
Soup is so damn ugly to style, but so damn good to eat.
The day I cooked up this soup, a cold front edged its way into the area and pissed rain intermittently. Granted, it wasn’t exactly cozy outside temperature-wise, but gloom still calls for a big bowl of comfort. So that’s exactly what I did. Whip up a pot and stuff our fridge with even more leftovers.
Yippedy doo da.
Much as I love eating soup, I hate photographing it. It’s hard to capture how tasty a soup is alongside how fugly it usually looks. It’s one of those dishes I’ve had to really relinquish my anality with and instead embrace per-meh-ctionism. Yes, I am sitting here advertising a dish I am openly calling ugly. Even I understand that life has its limitations.
Soup, though, is meant to have a messy element. There’s a reason the noise our mouths create when we enjoy soup sounds precisely like the word itself. Homey, warms the soul, nourishes the mind. I love this Pesto Gnocchi Zuppa Toscana for its simplicity, and restaurant-quality flavor. Creamy but not too, brothy, filled with healthy kale and rich sundried tomatoes. Kind of a play off my One Skillet Tuscan Gnocchi, but meant to be scoffed down with a spoon. Big lump of toasted bread recommended.
Tempeh for President
I’d vote for it.
Most Zuppa Toscana recipes use sausage or some variety thereof, but to keep this fully veg-friendly, I enlisted a block of tempeh seasoned with traditional Italian-style spices. Tempeh won’t brown like meat, but you can still infuse the crumbles with lots of flavor by using a medley of dried herbs, and the chewy texture is quite nice in the finished product.
Cook the tempeh with some onion in the oil reserved from a jar of sundried tomatoes (seriously a gamechanger in your cooking, dudes), then add celery and garlic. Drop in the pesto and chopped sundried tomatoes, then pour in the broth.
Kale Me, Maybe
Christ, do ya’ll remember that song? Big hit at my senior homecoming.
Once that lovely broth is nice and boily, throw in a bunch of Tuscan kale. You can use other varieties, but I find the heartier taste and deeper color more authentic. Trader Joes and Whole Foods usually carry bags or bunches.
Gnocchi comes next. I use this as a substitute for the traditional potatoes. It only takes a couple minutes to cook usually. Finish off with some creamy coconut milk (or whole milk, if you have an allergy/aversion) and fresh parmesan.
This soup is easily veganized if you remove the parmesan and use a vegan pesto. I love Trader Joes’ cashew pesto that you can find by the refrigerated dips. Whichever way you spin and twirl, be sure to grab your favorite crusty bread for dipping, or some hearty crackers. I switch off depending on how I’m feeling.
We’ve some cooler days ahead of us so you bet I’ll be enjoying this sweet-ass dish on repeat throughout our chilly snap!
Tried this recipe out? Leave a rating and comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Soup Szn:
Comforting Classic Chickpea Noodle Soup
30 Minute Creamy Chickpea Tortellini Soup
pesto gnocchi zuppa toscana
Ingredients
- 8 oz tempeh, crumbled
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp dried fennel
- 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
- pinch red pepper flakes
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup oil-packed sundried tomatoes, drained (reserve oil)
- 1/2 cup basil pesto, homemade or storebought
- 6 cups vegetable broth, or water
- 3 cups Tuscan kale, roughly chopped
- 1 lb potato gnocchi
- 1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk, or whole milk
- 1/2 cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the sundried tomato oil in a large pot over medium. Add the crumbled tempeh, onion, dried oregano, basil, fennel, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-8 minutes until the onion is soft and the tempeh lightly browned. Stir in the celery and garlic for 2-3 minutes until very fragrant.
- Pour in the sundried tomatoes, pesto, and broth. Bring to a boil. Stir in the kale and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Dump in the gnocchi and cook 2-3 minutes longer until soft. Stir in the coconut milk and parmesan. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
- Serve each bowl with additional parmesan and lots of crusty bread for dipping!
