Easy Creamy Vegan Gnocchi
A simple vegan gnocchi recipe with mushrooms and spinach in a creamy coconut milk sauce. This comes together easily on weeknights but has a touch of luxury and a unique mix of Italian and Mediterranean flavors.
Ingredients
- 18 oz (500 g) packaged dry gnocchi
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 8 oz (250 g) mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1-2 pinches chili flakes, to taste
- 14 oz (400 g) canned coconut milk, full fat
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¼ tsp lemon zest
- 3 cups (90 g) spinach, chopped
- ½ lemon juice
- 1 handful chives, parsley or basil, chopped
- lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Saute the mushrooms and onions. In a large, deep pan, heat a little olive oil and add the onions to the pan. Saute for a few minutes until they are starting to soften, then add the mushrooms. Cook over a medium-high heat until the mushrooms are well reduced and browned. This can take about 10 minutes, though it depends on the size of your pan. You may want to cook the mushrooms in two batches, adding the first batch back in with the second batch once it's done cooking, but I find with a 30cm (12 inch) pan I can do it all at the same time - they will cook down and brown eventually.1 medium red onion, 8 oz mushrooms
- Add the garlic and spices in quick succession. First, add the crushed fennel seeds and garlic and stir through until you can smell the fennel seeds toasting. Then add the smoked paprika, oregano, lemon zest and chili flakes and stir through until the mushrooms are well coated - add extra oil to the pan if everything seems too dry. Move on to the next step very quickly so that nothing gets a chance to burn.3 cloves garlic, 1 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp oregano, 1/4 tsp lemon zest, 1-2 pinches chili flakes
- Add the coconut milk and turmeric to the pan. Stir until the coconut milk is a uniform creamy texture (it is often separated in the can) and bring to a very gentle simmer. You want to cook it for about 15 minutes, until it's reduced and thickened up just a little (it will still be runnier than a heavy cream style sauce, but just a little thicker than our starting point).14 oz canned coconut milk, 1/4 tsp turmeric
- Start your gnocchi boiling or pan frying according to package instructions.18 oz packaged dry gnocchi
- While the gnocchi cooks, add the spinach to the sauce and stir through over a low heat until the spinach is wilted, then add the lemon juice and most of the herbs (saving some for garnish). Let it sit, off the heat, until the gnocchi is ready to go in.3 cups spinach, 1/2 lemon juice, 1 handful chives, parsley or basil
- Once cooked, drain the gnocchi and add to the sauce.
- Serve immediately, with the remaining herbs and lemon wedges for topping.lemon wedges
Calories: 471kcal, Carbohydrates: 58g, Protein: 10g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 22g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 465mg, Potassium: 608mg, Fiber: 7g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1728IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 85mg, Iron: 7mg