Easy Vegan Gnocchi with Sausage, Garlic and Broccoli
Looking to excite your tastebuds with something quick but different? Try my easy vegan Gnocchi with Sausage, Garlic and Broccoli, ready in about 30 minutes!
PIN my Vegan Sausage and Broccoli Gnocchi to make later
I love a quick, tasty supper and am always thrilled to add a new one to the rota. Whilst my favourite meals aren’t always ready in 30 minutes or less, it makes my life much easier if they are!
This was inspired by my simple vegan supper dishes, like my brown fried rice, or Chili Crisp noodles.
When I first made this dish, I was probably straddling the fine line between ecstasy and mediocrity. You may scoff at my dramatic intonation but when I cook something – anything! – I want it to be an unforgettable experience. Every cook, every chef, is hoping to find the Ultimate recipe, the one dish that makes everyone who tastes it melt into a rapturous, dribbling puddle on the floor. Whilst I have yet to discover that recipe (as have most people, I suspect), sometimes something so unexpected surpasses your expectations. Like crunching into a great vegan BLT (delicious vegan bacon, where are you?) or a tasting homemade strawberry ice cream for the first time.
That said, it is always helpful to have recipes that use stock cupboard items and that take half an hour maximum to prepare. Gnocchi is a great, low-priced store cupboard item and can be cooked in much the same way as pasta.
Despite loving starch, carbs, potatoes and pasta, gnocchi has never been top of my list of foods that I love. However, Alex, a work colleague wafted a microwaved lunch under my nose recently that smelt delicious.
“Yeah, it’s fried gnocchi with kale and sausage, I make it all the time” he said, nonchalantly.
So, that got my both my brain and my tastebuds whirring and I concocted a vegan version of his work lunch. I realise that something being simple yet complex is an oxymoron. However, in food, as in literature, sometimes a few simple things can produce something so complicated that you feel certain that the chef/author must have spent hours labouring over it.
My easy vegan gnocchi dish was one of those occasions. When I read cookbooks, it’s not just for fun or to lull me to sleep, promising me dreams of quinces and gilded gooses. In fact, I mentally compartmentalise dishes for future preparation. Somewhere in the dusty recesses of my brain, filed under ‘Recipes for Future Preparation’ are just that, recipes like the one I prepared last night.
This is also really adaptable, so, just like Alex did, you could use some cooked kale instead, or green beans. I have also noted below that you could use tofu instead of vegan sausages.
I like to flavour the oil that I’ll fry the gnocchi in with some garlic, and I gently warm cloves of peeled garlic in olive oil to impart a subtle flavour whilst I simmer the gnocchi. Optional, but adds a delicious flavour!
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- gnocchi
- vegan sausages
- broccoli
- garlic
- tomatoes
- olive oil
Instructions
Simmer the gnocchi for 3 minutes. Then cook the broccoli until barely tender. Meanwhile, add whole cloves of garlic to the olive oil and heat gently to infuse.
Add the sausage to the garlic oil and cook until browned. Remove sausage and leave to one side.
Fry the gnocchi in the garlic oil until it starts to turn golden and gets toasty edges. Then add the broccoli and tomatoes.
Add the sausage back to the pan, mix well, then season, I like to sprinkle some chilli flakes on mine for a little heat!
Hint: I reuse the gnocchi water to cook the broccoli in to save having to reheat a pan of water.
Substitutions
- Sausage – you could use cubes of fried tofu instead of veggie sausages
- Broccoli – you could use kale or green beans instead of broccoli
Variations
- Spicy – add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish
- Deluxe – add a little vegan single cream and grate some vegan parmesan on the gnocchi to give a luxurious finish
Storage
Store any cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Good for 2 days.
This does not freeze.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Vegan Fried Gnocchi with Sausage and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 500 g Gnocchi - shop bought
- 300 g Sausages - vegan (6 sausages), cut into chunks
- 200 g Broccoli
- 3 Tomatoes - chopped into eighths
- 3 cloves Garlic - peeled
- 4 tbsp Olive Oil
- Fresh parsley - to sprinkle
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pan of water to a boil and simmer the gnocchi for about 3 minutes or until they bob to the surface. Remove to drain using a slotted spoon, but retaining the water in the pan.
- Add the broccoli to the pan of gnocchi water and cook until just tender. Chop into large chunks. Set to one side.
- Meanwhile, gently heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the cloves of garlic whole. They will gently fragrance the oil.
- After 5 minutes, add the chopped sausage to the garlic oil. Turn up the heat and fry until the sausage is browned and toasty. Remove the sausage from the pan using a slotted spoon.
- Add the gnocchi to garlic oil and fry until it turns golden brown and crisp.
- Add the chopped tomato and broccoli and seasoning.
- Cook for a couple of minutes until the tomato has softened.
- Now add the sausage back to the pan and add a splash or two of hot water to the dish. This will help bring all the flavours together.
- Taste for seasoning and cook for another couple of minutes.
- Serve sprinkled with a little chopped parsley.
Please note that where the recipe asks for milk, butter or yogurt, this refers to any plant-based version that you prefer.
Food safety
We sometimes take for a granted that we have years (or decades) of cooking experience, that the average visitor may not. Add to, or remove from, the list below with health and safety tips.
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Don’t leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
