Italian Gnocchi Sausage Soup
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.