Creamy Italian Sausage & Potato Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 0.5 cup yellow onion (diced)
• 0.5 cup celery (diced)
• 0.5 cup carrots (diced)
• 3 garlic (minced, chopped, or thinly sliced)
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 0.5 tsp ground mustard
• 0.125 tsp cayenne pepper
• crushed red pepper flakes (pinch)
• cracked black pepper (to taste)
• 1 lb bulk Italian sausage (mild or hot)
• 2 tbsp Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 0.5 cup dry white wine (such as Chardonnay)
• 4 cup water
• 16 oz potato gnocchi
• 0.75 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5 oz fresh spinach (roughly chopped)
• salt (ONLY if needed at the very end)
• Italian bread (for serving)

Steps

1. 1

   Add 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil to a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium to medium-low heat.

2. 2

   Add the diced yellow onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté slowly and gently until softened, translucent, and just beginning to take on a golden color.

3. 3

   Add 3 cloves of garlic and sauté until fragrant.

4. 4

   Add the dried basil, garlic powder, dried oregano, smoked paprika, ground mustard, cayenne, crushed red pepper flakes, and cracked black pepper. Stir to bloom the seasonings in the oil.

5. 5

   Push the seasoned vegetables to one side of the pot. Add the bulk Italian sausage to the other side, breaking it apart with a spoon as it cooks.

6. 6

   Continue cooking over medium to medium-low heat until the sausage is browned and cooked through, then mix the sausage and vegetables together.

7. 7

   Push the sausage and vegetable mixture to the side again. Add 2 tablespoons of Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base and 1 tablespoon of tomato paste directly into the fat at the bottom of the pot. Sauté for 1-2 minutes before mixing into the rest of the ingredients.

8. 8

   Pour in 1/2 cup of dry white wine. Stir well, scraping up any browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine reduce for about 3 minutes to cook off the alcohol.

9. 9

   Pour in 4 cups of water and bring the soup to a boil.

10. 10

    Add 16 oz of potato gnocchi to the boiling soup. Cook for 3-5 minutes (or according to package directions) until tender.

11. 11

    Add 3/4 cup grated Parmesan, 1 cup heavy cream, and 5 oz roughly chopped fresh spinach. Stir until the cheese is melted and the spinach is wilted.

12. 12

    Lower the heat and let the soup come together for about 5 minutes. Do not overcook, or the gnocchi will become mushy.

13. 13

    Turn off the heat and let the soup sit for a few minutes to thicken. Taste and add salt only if necessary.

14. 14

    Serve hot with Italian bread for dipping.

Notes

Do not salt the soup until the very end, as the sausage, chicken base, and Parmesan are already quite salty. The tomato paste is used for umami and color rather than a tomato-heavy flavor. Using mini bottles of wine (187ml) is a convenient way to have cooking wine on hand.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• soup
• Italian
• comfort food
• one-pot
• sausage
• gnocchi
• creamy