Italian Soup

This recipe is my go-to for people interested in transitioning partially or completely to a plant based diet. It is similar to the Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana soup, but completely free of dairy and other animal proteins. If you want a recipe to knock their socks off, look no further! This recipe is modified from  https://www.yummymummykitchen.com/2017/11/zuppa-toscana.html. Enjoy!

•         1 red onion, diced
•         4 cloves garlic, minced (or 2 tsp jar garlic)
•         1 tablespoon Italian seasoning blend
•         1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
•         1 pound of baby yellow potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
•         32 oz. vegetable stock
•         1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and torn into pieces
•         1 can coconut milk
•         1 tablespoon flour (optional)
•         2 vegan Italian sausages 
•         Nutritional yeast to taste

Directions

• Add onions and 1-2 Tbsp water to large pot and cook until soft. Add garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute, Add the chopped potatoes and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender.
  
• Cut the sausages into bite sized rounds and cook in a tablespoon of oil in a separate pan until browned. Set aside to add to soup at the end.
  
• Once the potatoes are soft, stir the kale into the soup until wilted. Add the coconut milk. Add the sausages to the soup. Allow flavors to meld on low for 10 minutes. Add nutritional yeast to taste.