One-pot Vegan Italian Sausage Pasta Soup! It’s hearty, rustic and comforting, with a creamy tomato-y soup base, lots of herbs and garlic, vegan sausage chunks and pasta. Ultimate vegan comfort food!
It’s time to bust out the giant soup pot because you NEED this Vegan Italian Sausage Pasta Soup in your life.
It’s humble, hearty and rustic and has just about everything you could ever need going on. We’re talking creamy, thick tomato soup, lots of garlic, vegan Italian sausages and pasta.♡
And we’re talking comfort to the max. I just want to dive in head first.
How to make Vegan Italian Sausage Pasta Soup
FOR INGREDIENTS & FULL INSTRUCTIONS PLEASE SEE THE RECIPE CARD AT THE END OF THIS POST
So, here’s what’s going in that big ol’ soup pot:
Onion, garlic, dried herbs, salt and pepper – Flavour, flavour, flavour. It’s important to be generous with them all.
Vegan sausages – Field Roast Italian if at all possible. This is not sponsored by them, they just really are the best sausage for the job and their flavour/texture is just incredible in this soup. If you can’t get them Tofurkey Italian Sausages would be my second choice. And if you can’t get those either, any other preferably herby vegan sausages.
Tomato paste – And lots of it for creaminess and tomato flavour. Don’t use canned tomatoes or tomato sauce instead. They don’t have the same concentration of flavour or texture.
All purpose flour – For thickening. This soup is really thick and hearty and creamy thanks to the flour.
Light coconut milk (from a can) – It must be “light” and not full fat so that you don’t get a coconut flavour. Canned because of the creamy, velvety richness which other plant-based milks in a carton do not have. You can use another creamy plant-based milk if you have to, but the soup won’t be as creamy and rich tasting. See the recipe notes for my suggestions.
Dried Pasta – It’s cooked right there in the soup and makes it so hearty and rustic and delicious. It also thickens because it’s starchy.
Stock – There seems like an awful lot of liquid in this recipe but don’t worry. It’s not a typo. The pasta absorbs some of it as it cooks and along with the flour, thickens it all perfectly.
Kale – The perfect green for soups because it doesn’t get too soft and keeps some texture as well as it’s lovely green colour. If you are a kale hater please give it a chance in this soup. It is so great in it and doesn’t taste obviously kale-y once it’s all cooked up. I recommend Tuscan Kale (otherwise known as Cavolo Nero, Italian Kale or Dinosaur Kale) to keep the Italian theme going but if you can’t get that regular curly kale will do just fine. Don’t consider subbing it for anything else.
Sugar – Just a tiny bit and something I nearly always add to tomato-based recipes. It really makes the tomato flavour pop and makes a massive difference.
So now you know what’s going in your beautiful Italian Vegan Soup, here’s how you make it:
Step 1: Sauté the onions and garlic
Step 2: Add the herbs and flour and cook them out for a minute or two.
Step 3: Add the seasoning and tomato paste and stir it all up.
Step 4: Gradually add the stock, working out any lumps as you go, then cook until just starting to thicken.
Step 6: Add the dried pasta.
Step 7: Then the kale and vegan sausage slices.
Step 8: Lastly add the coconut milk and allow to cook until the pasta is al dente ( just tender).
Soup Success Tips
– Make sure your pot is big enough before you start. It needs to hold at least 6 quarts / 5.5 litres.
– Don’t reduce the amount of pasta because it will affect the thickness of the finished soup
– Your choice of sausage is crucial for this recipe. They must be a flavourful with good texture. I recommend Field Roast Italian above any other. See the recipe notes for more info.
– Don’t overcook the pasta. Serve as soon as it’s al dente.
– Don’t skip the sugar. It really makes a huge difference to the flavour of tomato-based recipes.
How to serve
This is such a hearty soup that you don’t need any accompaniments, except maybe some fresh basil, and an obscene amount of vegan cheese over the top. Violife Parmesan is just perfect for this and is the one I used in the photos. My Vegan Feta Cheese, although not Italian, would be amazing crumbled over it too.
If you’re extra hungry, bread is always a good option with soup. My No Knead Focaccia Bread works really well with it.
How to store leftovers
Because of the pasta this soup is at it’s best when served immediately. Leftovers are still great but the pasta does become very soft once it’s been reheated again.
Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days and warm only as much as is needed in a pan on the stove top or in a microwave. Be sure to heat until piping hot, but not for any longer to avoid cooking the pasta more than is necessary.
I haven’t yet tried freezing this soup yet. if you do let me know how it goes in the comments section.
And so to recap. This Vegan Italian Sausage Pasta Soup is:
- Rustic and hearty
- Filling
- Easy to make
- Full of tomatoe-y, herby, sausage-y flavour
- Creamy and velvety
- Ultra-cozy
- Very family friendly (don’t all kids and big kids like tomato soup and pasta and sausages?)
Hungry for more vegan soup
If you are liking this cozy, hearty soup recipe, then you might also enjoy my Vegan Potato Soup, Vegan Tortilla Soup, Chili Soup, Vegan Pea Soup and Instant Pot Tomato Soup.
And if you love this recipe, please do check out my cookbook, and subscribe to my email list for a fabulous FREE eCookbook featuring my top 10 recipes. Being on the list means you will be first to see my new recipes and you’ll be kept in the loop on all things new and exciting too!
Vegan Italian Sausage Pasta Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , or use a few tablespoons of water to sauté with instead
- 1 medium onion , peeled and diced
- 4 cloves garlic , peeled and chopped finely
- 2 teaspoons dried rosemary , or use mixed Italian style herbs instead of rosemary & thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- ½ cup / 63 g all purpose flour , (plain flour in the UK)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup / 180 g tomato paste , (tomato puree in the UK)
- 4 cups / 32 fl oz / 946 mls vegetable or mushroom stock
- 5 cups / 40 fl oz / 1200 mls water
- 12 oz / 350 g dried pasta
- 4 big kale leaves , with stem removed. Chopped into small pieces.
- 4 Field Roast Italian style sausages or Tofurkey Italian Sausages , cut into chunky rounds * see notes for sausage alternatives
- 1 tablespoon sugar ***
- 1 can / 13 oz / 400 ml canned light coconut milk ** see recipe notes
Instructions
- Add the oil to a large soup pan or Dutch Oven (the pan needs to hold 6 quarts / 5.5 litres or more to make this soup comfortably), and warm over a medium heat.
- Add the onions and sauté for about 5 minutes or until turning golden. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the herbs and flour, stir well and cook for about a minute. Add the salt, pepper and tomato paste and stir well again. it will be really thick and lumpy looking. Gradually add the stock about a cup at a time, stirring between each addition to work out any lumps. Then add the water all at once. It seems like a lot of liquid but don't worry. It's how it's supposed to be for now.
- Bring to a simmer stirring frequently. It will start to thicken a little but still be very liquidy. Once simmering add the dried pasta, kale, sliced sausages, sugar and coconut milk. Be sure to add the coconut milk last as the other ingredients will drop the temperature a little and prevent it curdling.
- As the pasta cooks in the soup it will thicken everything up nicely. It is ready to serve as soon as the pasta is tender which takes about 10 minutes. If the soup gets too thick, just boil some water in a kettle and add as much as needed to get the soup to the consistency you like.
Long time vegan, creator of A Virtual Vegan & author of the book 
Debra Olafson says
I made this for supper tonight and I loved it but even better my two non-vegan friends also really loved it. “I would definitely eat more vegan food if it tastes this good”. Thanks for sharing your great recipes.
A Virtual Vegan says
That’s awesome Debra! I’m really pleased you all enjoyed it and thanks so much for stopping by to leave a review/feedback!
Judy says
What is the cheesy looking strips on top in the photo? Can’t find in recipe
A Virtual Vegan says
That’s cheese. Totally optional but recommended. I talk about it in the “how to serve” section. The one in this picture is Violife parmesan. My feta cheese recipe works really well sprinkled on it too though!
Erin Hill says
My whole family loved this so much! So creamy and comforting on a winter evening. It worked just fine with unsweetened almond milk. This is going into the permanent rotation!
Thank you!!!
A Virtual Vegan says
Glad you enjoyed it Erin!
Laura says
This was delicious! I suggest everyone make this recipe immediately. Think of a luscious, creamy tomato soup base, flavored just right with yummy sausage, kale and pasta. The only change we made was to use Italian Seasoning Mix (penzeys) instead of the straight rosemary and thyme. I also used jovial brand gluten free penne. It works fantastic in pasta and soup recipes. And eating this as leftovers was almost even better! The jovial pasta reheats nicely so its soft, not gummy and while the recipe thickened and wasn’t a soup anymore, it became like a creamy pasta. It reminded me of pre vegan days when you would reheat a particularly yummy lasagna and all that creaminess. This had that without ever having to add cheese. This soup will immediately go into our rotation of recipes – it’s just too good not to be eaten on a regular basis!
A Virtual Vegan says
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it Laura! Great tip re the pasta too. Thanks so much for coming back to leave a review. It’s much appreciated!
Rita Hallaveld says
This was easy and perfectly creamy. Also a hit with my 2 year old!
Hailey says
This was so good! I loved this recipe so much because it’s easy and makes a lot. I did use oat milk instead of coconut milk and used one cup less of water and it was perfect.
Kim Arsenault says
You recommend not to leave the sugar out, but when do you add it? I don’t see it in the list of instructions. Thanks – am trying this tonight :)
A Virtual Vegan says
Good spot, thank you! I have added it to the instructions now. Truth be told though it really doesn’t matter when you add it!
Kim Arsenault says
I made this and it is very good! Everyone really liked it – thanks!
Sandy says
Absolutely delicious! We loved everything about it and it will now be on regular rotation!
Karen says
Hi Mel – I gave this a try tonight. I’ve never tried any of the various meat substitutes but this looked so tasty I thought I’d give it a try. It’s really good. I don’t know that I’ve converted to liking the field roast sausage and might use 1/2 or even a 1/4 of what The recipes calls for if I made it again. More likely, I might substitute the sausage with some chickpeas or navy beans, since the soup base was delicious. I’ll definitely be freezing some, so I’ll update on how it survives the freezer! Thanks for all you do!
Phyllis L Multari says
I love most of your recipes but I thought this was awful. I followed your directions exactly and was so looking forward to serving it to my daughter and her family, to show off a bit since she’s been vegan for over 5 years now and I’m still somewhat of a newbie. The sauce itself tastes good before adding the sausage, pasta, kale, and coconut milk – that gets the 3 stars. The local stores were sold out of the Field Roast brand of sausage so I did have to use the Tofurkey Italian sausage. I think the addition of the Lite Coconut milk was what I didn’t like the most – my family said it gave the soup a funky taste. And you’re right – the pasta becomes mushy if the soup isn’t eaten instantly. What a mess! Sorry, Mel, cause everyone else here seems to have loved this, and your other dishes I’ve tried have been delish. But I scrapped this meal and made something else for dinner. Maybe it’s just our personal taste buds. I’m still a fan and looking forward to some other dish another time.
Theresa says
I wish I could rate this recipe higher than 5 stars. So easy, SO flavorful, and definitely going to be a top 10 favorite recipe for life! Thank you Mel!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thanks so much for stopping by to leave a review. I’m really pleased you enjoyed it!
Beth Vandervort says
Good, fast, easy. Another great vegetarian meal from Mel. Thank you! I really enjoyed this soup, and am thrilled to have yummy leftovers for my lunch this week at work.
A Virtual Vegan says
I’m really pleased you enjoyed it Beth. Enjoy the leftovers!
Jan Brandvold says
Have you tried Beyond Sausage Italian? It’s pretty amazing! It’s what I will use in this recipe.
A Virtual Vegan says
I have and they are great but the Field Roast Italian are better for this recipe. The fennel, red wine and other seasonings in them really compliment the soup.
If you do use Beyond Sausage though make sure you read my note in the recipe about sautéing them first.
Jan Brandvold says
Yes, I always sauté. I can’t do gluten, so the Field roast is off the table for me, literally! ;-). Maybe I could add some of those other seasoning to the soup.
Joanie Lewis says
Another crowd-pleasing recipe! It was easy and a quick Friday meal. Thank you Melanie
A Virtual Vegan says
I’m really pleased you enjoyed it Joanie. Thanks so much for coming back to rate it!
Tammy Gipson says
Looks AMAZING. What kind of pasta did you use? I love the look/shape of it.
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you! Any will do for this recipe. but the one I used is one I buy from Costco. It’s the only place I’ve seen it. The brand is Garofalo and it’s labelled organic. The variety (shape) is casarecce. It’s great quality for the price!