Italian Gnocchi Soup (Creamy 30-Minute One-Pot Recipe)

Ingredients

• 16 oz Italian sausage (Casings removed; hot Italian sausage is recommended for extra heat.)
• 1 medium Yellow onion (Chopped finely.)
• 1 Red pepper (Chopped finely.)
• 1 Jalapeño (Finely chopped; seeds removed.)
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 tbsp Butter
• 1 tbsp Tomato paste
• 1 tbsp Garlic powder
• 1 tsp Smoked paprika
• 1 tsp Chicken powder
• 1 tbsp Soy sauce
• 2 cups Chicken broth
• 2 cups Water (Add one cup at a time if you want to control the soup's thickness.)
• 1 cup Heavy cream (Use full-fat cream.)
• 1 lb Uncooked potato gnocchi (Shelf-stable potato gnocchi is recommended because it holds its shape in the broth.)
• 2 cups Fresh baby spinach (Packed.)
• Kosher salt (To taste.)
• Freshly cracked black pepper (To taste.)
• Fresh Parmesan cheese (For serving; grate it yourself rather than using pre-shredded cheese.)

Steps

1. 1

   Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat.

2. 2

   Add the finely chopped onion, red pepper, and jalapeño. Cook for about 2–3 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables begin to soften and smell fragrant.

3. 3

   Add the Italian sausage with the casings removed. Break it up with the spoon as it cooks, and cook for 7–8 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Leave the browned bits on the bottom of the pot, as they add flavor.

4. 4

   Stir in the butter and tomato paste. Cook for about 1 minute, scraping up anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. If the mixture sticks, loosen it with a splash of broth or water; the source also notes that white wine may be used.

5. 5

   Add the garlic powder, smoked paprika, chicken powder, and soy sauce. Stir for 1–2 minutes so the seasonings toast in the fat.

6. 6

   Pour in the chicken broth, water, and heavy cream. Add the uncooked potato gnocchi directly to the pot.

7. 7

   Bring the soup to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the gnocchi float and are tender all the way through. Do not let the cream boil; reduce the heat to medium-low if the soup bubbles too vigorously.

8. 8

   Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for 1–2 minutes more, just until it wilts and collapses into the broth.

9. 9

   Taste the soup and adjust with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

10. 10

    Serve hot with a generous amount of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and crusty bread on the side.

Notes

For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free gnocchi and boil it separately, then add it at the very end so it does not break down in the broth. Refrigerate leftovers and reheat gently; the source suggests microwaving covered for 60–90 seconds, stirring, then heating for another 30 seconds. Do not freeze the finished soup because the gnocchi can become grainy and the cream can separate. Instead, freeze the soup base without the cream, gnocchi, and spinach for up to 3 months, then thaw and add those ingredients when finishing the soup. Refrigerated or homemade gnocchi cooks faster, generally in 2–3 minutes; frozen gnocchi can be added directly but may need an extra minute or two.

Nutrition per serving

• soup
• main
• Italian
• one-pot
• quick
• 30-minute
• comfort food
• creamy