Chicken Gnocchi Soup

I am not a soup person. Every time I find what looks like a good recipe, I still think to myself, "Soup's not a meal." But then there is this one. Oh, my, gosh! I am having a love affair with this soup. (And if anyone can tell me the three t.v. shows I've pulled from in the last four sentences, you have my admiration.) Wow, is it amazing! Honestly, you've got to try it. It's a copycat recipe for the Chicken Gnocchi soup at Olive Garden, and even if it's not right on target (I couldn't remember well enough to compare), it doesn't even matter because it's so good on it's own that I don't even care. Make it as soon as you can!

I left out the celery (which I hate), and I did not use the whole rotisserie chicken like the original recipe because it seemed like too much.

Printable Recipe

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

from Jamie Cooks It Up

Time: 30-40 minutes total    Yield: about 12 servings

1 medium onion, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and grated
4 stalks celery, chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups Rotisserie Chicken + 1 C reserved broth from the bottom of the chicken container (if you don't have enough, I just used regular chicken broth to supplement)
7 cups water
8 chicken bullion cubes
1 (16 ounce) package Potato Gnocchi
4 cups half and half
1 1/2 cups spinach, chopped
1 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup cold water
5 Tbsp cornstarch
salt and pepper 



Peel and chop onion and garlic; peel and grate carrots; chop celery.

Heat a large pot up over medium high heat. Pour 2-3 tablespoons of Olive Oil into it.

When the oil is hot, add the vegetables into the pan. Cook them over medium high heat, stirring occasionally for about 5-8 minutes or until the onions are translucent. 

Pour the broth that is left in the bottom of the chicken package into a large measuring cup. If needed, add extra canned or homemade broth to make 1 cup.
  
Pull the skin off of the chicken, and take the meat off of the bones. Chop it up with a sharp knife.

When the vegetables are done cooking, pour the broth from the chicken and 7 cups of hot water into the pot.

Add 8 chicken bullion cubes and stir.

Add 2 cups of chopped chicken and bring the soup to a boil.

Pour Gnocchi into the pot. Let the soup come to a boil again and allow the gnocchi to cook for about 3-4 minutes. The gnocchi will be cooked  through when they float to the top of the broth, which should happen pretty fast.

Chop about 1 1/2 cups of spinach and add to the pot.

Pour in 4 cups of Half and Half, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 tablespoons of butter. Stir and then let it come to a boil. 

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup cold water and 5 tablespoons of cornstarch. Mix it well and pour it into the soup pot.

Bring the soup to a boil, while you stir. It will thicken as the soup reaches a boil. 

Taste it and season to your liking with salt and pepper. 


Serve with: Breadsticks, Salad