This creamy vegan chorizo gnocchi is not only mind-blowingly tasty but is really easy to bring together making it a perfect mid-week meal.
Gnocchi is such a versatile ingredient and I think makes a pleasant change from pasta. But like pasta, it needs a brilliant sauce. And oh boy is this a brilliant sauce. full of garlicky creaminess with the added subtle peppery spice from the vegan chorizo, I’m confident this is a recipe you will keep going back to.
What is Gnocchi?
Traditional gnocchi is an Italian dish that is in fact little dumplings made from potatoes which also include flour, milk and eggs. So like pasta, gnocchi is also high in carbohydrates.
But did you know that apparently, they came to be called “gnocchi” from an Italian word meaning ‘lumps’ because of their distinctive shape? You can sometimes find them with ridges on top or they are simple small spheres cut at angles for more texture.
Is shop bought Gnocchi suitable for Vegans?
The short answer is No. The majority of gnocchi sold at supermarkets are only suitable for vegetarians as they use eggs and cows milk. You can of course make your own but for convenience, I have to say that I always opt for premade products.
However, there are some brands of ready-made gnocchi which are suitable for vegans. You just need to read the labels and check the ingredients.
Top Tip, We have found that most gluten-free Gnocchi also tends to be free from eggs and milk as well.
We opted for a Gluten-free Gnocchi by Difatti (affiliate link) which is also suitable for vegans. Instead of wheat flour, it used corn starch and rice flour. Again it’s still high in carbohydrates but behaves a little differently from its wheat counterpart on blood sugar levels.
Why not try this crispy kale and tomato gnocchi bake if you are a gnocchi nut and love another easy midweek meal idea.
Vegetarian or Vegan Chorizo Sausages
This recipe also uses vegetarian/vegan chorizo sausages to add that subtle paprika heat to this recipe. Now I have tested this recipe with a few different varieties and our favourite by far are the Marks and Spencer Plant Kitchen No Chorizo Puppies.
These No Chorizo Puppies are gluten-free sausages made from mushrooms, soya, red pepper, and caramelised onions with smoked paprika and chilli powder. They add a wonderful flavour to this creamy sauce along with tasting absolutely delicious.
But test and experiment to find the vegetarian/vegan chorizo substitute you like.
Serving suggestion for the Creamy Vegan Chorizo Gnocchi
Why not try serving the gnocchi with some extra greens like broccoli, and beans or even on a bed of beautifully cooked courgettes.
We also enjoy it with a simple green salad on the side
What you will need for the Creamy Vegan Chorizo Gnocchi
- Olive oil
- One of my favourites
- Rich in healthy monounsaturated fats
- Butternut Squash
- Gives you a whopping dose of vitamin A alongside lots of other vitamins and minerals
- Has a wonderful soft sweet nutty flavour when roasted
- Garlic
- Rich in vitamin C, vitamin B6 and manganese
- Roasting the garlic changes the flavour, resulting in creamy cloves with a nutty, mild taste
- Rosemary
- A wonderfully tasty Mediterranean herb
- Fresh is definitely the best but you could use frozen or dried
- Kale
- A wonderfully nutrient dense veggie
- Rich source of vitamin K
- Vegan Chorizo Sausages
- See notes above
- My favourites in this recipe are the Marks and Spencer Plant Kitchen No Chorizo Puppies
- Vegetable Stock
- Helps to enhance all the flavours
- Vegan Cream
- There are lots of options available
- My favourite is an oat based cream
- Lower in saturated fat than dairy cream
- Ready Made Gnocchi
- See notes above
- Hard Vegan cheese
- We like the cheese by Violife, particularly their Parmesan style Cheese Wedge
MORE GREAT EASY VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN RECIPES TO TRY:
15 MINUTE GNOCCHI WITH PESTO SAUCE
EASY VEGAN LENTIL AND BEAN CHILLI
EASY VEGAN MUSHROOM STROGANOFF
Diabetes Note
I have to admit we have avoided Gnocchi for a while as I was a little scared of serving such a high carb dinner for my daughter however I was pleasantly surprised. For us, it didn’t seem to have as big an impact on blood sugars as we thought it might.
This is a bit of a guestimate meal if you combine all the ingredients and simply divide it by 4. However, you could also weigh out each gnocchi serving and then add the sauce and vegetables to combine separately. This would ensure a slightly more accurate carb count per portion.
Carb Counting
The overall carb count for a serving of this Creamy Vegan Chorizo Gnocchi based on the ingredients we count for:
- Gluten-free Gnocchi by Difatti (affiliate link) = 250g – 90g of carbs
- Vegan oatly cream = approx 50ml per serving – 5.5g of carbs
90 +5.5 = 95.5g of carbs per portion
Please note this carb count amount per portion is based on the standard ingredients listed above and may differ depending on what you use and how much you choose to eat.
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Creamy Vegan Chorizo Gnocchi
This creamy vegan chorizo Gnocchi is not only mind-blowingly tasty but is pretty easy to bring together for a perfect mid-week meal.
4
servings10
minutes50
minutes1
hourKeep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
a good glug of olive or rapeseed oil
600 g butternut squash, cut into bite-size chunks
5-6 cloves garlic, whole
2 tbsp rosemary, chopped
200 g kale ripped into pieces
1 packet vegan chorizo sausages
400 ml vegetable stock
200 ml vegan cream
1000 g ready-made gnocchi
50 g hard vegan cheese, optional
Directions
- Heat the oven to 220C /200C fan
- Prepare your butternut squash and place in a roasting tray with the olive oil, garlic cloves and most of your chopped rosemary and mix well. (you will need a tsp of rosemary later on)
Place in the oven and cook for 40 minutes or until soft and turning a little brown on the edges. - Remove the butternut squash from the oven. Carefully pick out the garlic cloves and set them to one side. Then add your ripped kale and place it back in the oven for 5 – 10 minutes
- Now you can cook your vegan chorizo sausage pieces in a frying pan with a little olive oil
- Also at this point Boil some water for your gnocchi
- Once the vegan sausage pieces are sizzling away (5-10 minutes) add the chopped roasted garlic, your extra chopped rosemary and the vegetable stock. This should bubble up nicely in the pan.
- Turn the heat down and stir in your cream
- Meanwhile cook your gnocchi in boiling water, following the packet instructions and drain
- Now you can combine everything ready for serving. Simply add your roasted butternut squash, kale, and gnocchi to your creamy sauce to ensure everything is coated well.
- Serve with some grated vegan cheese on top and some delicious greens
Tips and Notes
- You could use pre-prepared butternut squash to save chopping time.
- Diabetes Note – If you wanted to ensure more accurate carb counting then you could always weigh out each gnocchi serving and then add the sauce and vegetables to combine separately. See notes above for more info.
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