Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup with Homemade Gnocchi

Ingredients

• 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes (For homemade gnocchi)
• 2 Egg yolks (The transcript says two yolks; one whole egg may be substituted, but the gnocchi will be less creamy and rich.)
• 1 cup All-purpose flour (Sifted, plus extra for dusting and as needed if the dough is wet)
• 2 lb Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (Trim excess fat and check for bone fragments)
• Olive oil (A drizzle for coating the chicken and enough to cook in the Dutch oven; amount not specified)
• 3 tbsp Garlic powder (For seasoning the chicken)
• 2 tbsp Onion powder (For seasoning the chicken)
• 1 tbsp Paprika (For seasoning the chicken)
• 1 tbsp Dried oregano (For seasoning the chicken)
• Salt (For seasoning the chicken, salting the gnocchi water, and adjusting the soup to taste)
• Black pepper (For seasoning the chicken, to taste)
• 1 Shallot (Finely diced; use one regular shallot rather than the unusually large double shallot shown in the transcript)
• 6 cloves Garlic (Peeled, crushed, and roughly chopped)
• 0.25 cup Sun-dried tomatoes (Cut into short, small pieces; more may be used to taste)
• 1.5 tbsp Tomato paste
• 2 tbsp Garlic powder (Added to the soup base; separate from the amount used to season the chicken)
• 1 tbsp Paprika (Added to the soup base; separate from the amount used on the chicken)
• 1 tbsp Dried oregano (Added to the soup base; separate from the amount used on the chicken)
• 1 tbsp Red chili flakes (A preferred spice blend may be used instead)
• 6 tbsp Chicken broth (The transcript explicitly states six tablespoons; use a flavorful, high-quality broth or homemade stock)
• 4 cups Heavy cream
• 2 cups Parmigiano Reggiano (Freshly grated; do not use shelf-stable pre-grated cheese in a can)
• Fresh gnocchi (All homemade gnocchi prepared above; packaged gnocchi may be used instead)
• Spinach (A generous handful, washed; amount not specified)
• 4 stems Fresh Italian parsley (Torn into the soup)
• Fresh basil (Optional; leaves plucked from the stems and torn into the soup)
• Water (For boiling the fresh gnocchi; amount not specified)

Steps

1. 1

   Cook the Yukon Gold potatoes using one of the two methods described: bake them at 375°F for 45–60 minutes, depending on size, or place them on a microwave-safe plate, cover them with a damp towel, and microwave for about 10–15 minutes in 5-minute intervals, rotating them between intervals. Cook until completely tender.

2. 2

   While the potatoes are still warm, push them through a potato ricer. Alternatively, peel them and scrape them through a fine-mesh strainer or sieve. Remove any potato peel caught in the ricer and scrape all of the riced potato from the underside into a bowl.

3. 3

   Fold the riced potato together gently until it is evenly mashed and free of large lumps.

4. 4

   Add the two egg yolks and mash them into the potato until evenly distributed.

5. 5

   Sift in about 1 cup of flour to remove clumps. Once the mixture forms a shaggy dough, use your hands to press and fold it together until smooth. Do not add liquid; continue working the dough patiently. If it becomes too wet, work in a little additional flour.

6. 6

   Press the dough. When it springs back, divide it into two equal pieces.

7. 7

   Lightly flour the work surface and roll each piece of dough from the center outward into a log about 1/2 inch thick. If a log becomes unwieldy or too long, divide it in half.

8. 8

   Cut the logs into relatively even pieces to form the gnocchi. Dust the pieces lightly with flour so they do not stick together. Leave them as pillows, or shape a few by pressing each against a fork with your thumb and rolling it.

9. 9

   Transfer the gnocchi to a sheet tray. If they will sit on the counter before cooking, cover them with a damp towel so they do not dry out.

10. 10

    Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs and inspect the undersides for any remaining bone fragments.

11. 11

    Drizzle the chicken thighs with olive oil, turning them so the oil coats every surface.

12. 12

    Season the chicken thoroughly with the garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper, making sure there are no bare spots. A different spice rub may be used if its flavors complement the soup.

13. 13

    Finely dice the shallot. Peel, crush, and roughly chop the six garlic cloves. Cut the sun-dried tomatoes into short, small pieces rather than mincing them or leaving them in long strips.

14. 14

    Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once it has preheated, add olive oil if needed and carefully lay in the chicken thighs without overlapping them. Cook in batches if necessary to avoid crowding.

15. 15

    Sear the chicken for about 2 minutes on the first side, then flip each piece and sear the second side for about 1 minute. Continue flipping the pieces two or three times until the chicken is cooked to about 155°F and continues cooking as it rests.

16. 16

    Remove the chicken from the Dutch oven and let it rest while the soup base cooks.

17. 17

    Reduce the heat to medium-low. In the same Dutch oven, add the diced shallot and sun-dried tomatoes. Keep them moving around the pot and cook for about 3 minutes, until fragrant and the shallot becomes translucent.

18. 18

    Add the tomato paste, the second measured amount of garlic powder, paprika, dried oregano, and red chili flakes. Stir until the tomato paste and spices are toasted and the raw tomato-paste aroma has cooked away.

19. 19

    Add the chicken broth. Stir and bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping the bottom of the Dutch oven to loosen the browned bits left by the chicken.

20. 20

    Simmer the broth mixture uncovered for about 15 minutes, stirring as needed. Keep the lid off so some moisture evaporates and the flavor becomes concentrated.

21. 21

    Add the heavy cream carefully and stir it in slowly.

22. 22

    Add the freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and stir until the cheese has melted completely into the soup.

23. 23

    Bring the soup back to a light simmer and continue cooking uncovered for about 30 minutes, stirring every 1–2 minutes so the bottom does not burn. Continue until the soup has thickened to a creamy soup consistency rather than a sauce.

24. 24

    Reduce the heat to medium-low and then to low to keep the soup warm. Taste and adjust the salt only after the soup has reduced, since salting earlier could have made it too salty as moisture evaporated.

25. 25

    Cut the rested chicken into cubes and carefully add it back to the hot soup.

26. 26

    Bring a separate pot of water to a boil and add a heavy pinch of salt. Add the fresh gnocchi and cook for 2–3 minutes, until the pieces float to the surface. Cooking the fresh gnocchi separately prevents its excess flour from making the soup thick and gummy. Packaged gnocchi may be added directly to the soup and cooked through instead.

27. 27

    Fold the cooked gnocchi into the soup.

28. 28

    Add the spinach and tear in the fresh Italian parsley. If using basil, pluck off the leaves, tear them, and add them as well.

29. 29

    Stir everything together until the spinach wilts and the herbs are distributed. Serve hot.

Notes

The transcript gives an unusually small amount of chicken broth—6 tablespoons—so that quantity has been preserved exactly. The transcript does not specify the exact amount of olive oil, salt, pepper, spinach, or optional basil. It also does not give a precise final serving temperature beyond serving the soup hot, nor a storage method.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• soup
• Italian-inspired
• comfort food
• homemade gnocchi
• creamy
• one-pot
• stovetop