This thick and creamy Italian gnocchi sausage soup is a perfect quick and easy weeknight meal! The soup combines tender gnocchi, savory sausage, and delicious Italian seasonings in a creamy broth that is delicious served in bowls or thick enough for bread bowls, too.

White soup bowl with spoon scooping up creamy soup with carrots, gnocchi, spinach, sausage and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Why I Love This Gnocchi Soup

There are so many reasons to love this creamy, hearty soup. Here are just a few:

First of all, it’s fast. Dinner is ready in 30 minutes (or thereabouts), which means it’s a perfect homemade dinner that can fit into a busy weeknight.

Secondly, the gnocchi level up this soup for an ultra-filling and satisfying dinner. The little potato dumplings also help thicken the soup.

Third, this creamy gnocchi soup will give life to your same-old soup routine. If you’ve had enough chicken noodle lately, give this one a try!

Finally, you haven’t lived until you’ve dipped a hunk of crusy bread into the depths of this creamy, incredibly delicious soup.

Ladle scooping up creamy soup with gnocchi, sausage, spinach, and carrots.

Notes For Key Ingredients

  • Sausage: Use Italian-style ground sausage for the best flavor. Regular sausage can be used as well, but it doesn’t pack the same flavor punch as Italian-style sausage.
  • Gnocchi: Dried gnocchi is readily available in most grocery stores in the pasta aisle. Look for mini gnocchi (that’s my favorite to use in soups). Or you can easily cut regular gnocchi in half (or just leave them well enough alone and add them to the soup as-is).
  • Spinach: Lightly chop fresh baby spinach and add it to the soup at the end of cooking. I like to trim and discard super long, thick stems.
  • Broth: The recipe calls for 3 cups of broth. While the soup thickens considerably as it cools, you can reduce the amount of broth to 2 cups for a thicker soup.
  • Milk: I suggest using 1%, 2% or whole milk for the best results. The milk is blended with a bit of flour to thicken the soup.

Serve this soup with breadsticks or crusty bread for dunking and dipping. This soup is thick enough to serve in bread bowls, too. YUM.

Cast iron enamel pot with cooked sausage, carrots, dried basil, dried oregano and salt.
Cast iron pot with cooked sausage, broth, and gnocchi.
Pouring flour and milk mixture into pot with broth, gnocchi, cooked sausage and carrots.
Fresh spinach added to cast iron enamel pot with gnocchi soup.

A Few Last Things…

  • This soup can be kept warm on the stovetop (or in a slow cooker) for a few hours. It will thicken a bit more if not served right away.
  • If you can find pumpkin gnocchi (Trader Joe’s has it seasonally), I think it would be delicious in place of the regular gnocchi.
  • Don’t forget to taste the soup at the end of cooking and add additional salt and pepper, if needed. This is an oft overlooked step that is especially important for thick and creamy soups like this one.

If you haven’t used gnocchi before, I encourage you to give this soup a try! It is deliciously simple and such a crowd-pleaser.

My family loves this one! It’s taken top spot in our soup lineup right now, and the word on the street is that the leftovers reheat really well (not that I can attest to that, personally, since my 17-year old is the one who comes home from school and gobbles up any leftovers in sight during his lunch hour).

Top down view of creamy soup with carrots, gnocchi, spinach, sausage and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
White soup bowl with spoon scooping up creamy soup with carrots, gnocchi, spinach, sausage and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Italian Gnocchi Sausage Soup

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup diced carrots
  • ½ cup chopped onions
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced (about 1 tablespoon)
  • 12 to 16 ounces regular or Italian-style sausage
  • 3 cups chicken broth (see note)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 16 ounces regular or mini dried gnocchi
  • 3 cups milk (preferably 1%, 2% or whole milk)
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 2 to 3 cups chopped baby spinach
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Instructions 

  • In a 6-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots and onions, and cook, stirring often, for 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant.
  • Add the sausage. Cook, crumbling the meat into small pieces, until the sausage is no longer pink. Drain excess grease.
  • Add the broth, basil, oregano, parsley, salt and thyme. Bring to a simmer and add the gnocchi. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring once or twice to prevent sticking.
  • Blend the milk and flour together until smooth and add to the soup. Bring to a simmer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the soup has thickened.
  • Stir the spinach and Parmesan cheese into the soup and heat through. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper, if needed (important!).
  • Serve with additional Parmesan cheese, if desired. The soup will continue to thicken as it cools.

Notes

Broth: If you’d like an even thicker soup, reduce the broth to 2 cups. Keep in mind that this soup continues to thicken a considerable amount as it cools. For a less thick soup, reduce the flour in the recipe to 2 tablespoons.
Author: Mel Gunnell
Course: Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Method: Stovetop

Recommended Products

Cookware
Ladle
Wooden Spoon

Recipe Source: from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe