Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Barry has been on a soup kick recently, which means I get to try out new recipes! Within a few bites, he declared this one his new all-time favorite. This creamy Tuscan-style chicken soup is the winter comfort food that dreams are made of this chilly February! I found this recipe on one of my favorite cooking blogs – Skinnytaste.com -and tweaked it a little to add a few more grams of protein.
And so you don’t have to read through a lengthy narrative just to get to the recipe, I’ve put the recipe first and the post after. 😉 Enjoy!

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This recipe makes 6 servings, and was adapted from Chicken Gnocchi Soup – Skinnytaste

Slurry:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour mix
1/4 cup half and half
1/2 cup cold water
Soup:
12 ounces Italian chicken sausage links
5 cups chicken bone broth
1 large shallot, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs
1 parmesan cheese rind (optional)
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
16 ounce package gnocchi, or gluten-free gnocchi
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves, rough chopped
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
salt & pepper – to taste
crushed red pepper – optional, and to taste
2 tbsp fresh basil, optional for garnish

Directions:
1. Combine slurry ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.

2. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and spray with oil. Remove sausage links from casings and add to pot. Cook the sausage, breaking up with a wooden spoon as it cooks, until no longer pink and slightly browned.

3. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until soft, 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and chicken.

4. Add the chicken broth, parmesan rind, sundried tomatoes, Italian seasoning and bring to a boil. Partially cover and simmer on low until vegetables are soft and the chicken shreds easily, about 25 minutes.

5. Remove the chicken and set aside, shred with 2 forks.

6. Return the chicken to the pot then slowly stir in slurry, stirring well as you add and bring it back to a boil.

7. Add the gnocchi, spinach, and parmesan cheese; cook according to package directions for the gnocchi, or until they start to float to the top and soup thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste, discard parmesan cheese rind and top with fresh chopped basil and crushed red pepper. Serve with a salad and some crusty bread!

Soup Days

“Do you have a kinder, more adaptable friend in the food world than soup? Who soothes you when you are ill? Who refuses to leave you when you are impoverished and stretches its resources to give a hearty sustenance and cheer? Who warms you in the winter and cools you in the summer? Yet who also is capable of doing honor to your richest table and impressing your most demanding guests? Soup does its loyal best, no matter what undignified conditions are imposed upon it. You don’t catch steak hanging around when you’re poor and sick, do you?”
-Judith Martin

What a quote, right? Who knew soup was that amazing?! As I said at the top of this post, Barry has been craving it lately. We’ve had soup nights at least once a week, and he often orders a good chicken tortilla or French onion soup when we dine out. Most soups are relatively healthy, and recipe options are endless, so I am embracing this phase for as long as it lasts!

Our menu shift probably coincided with the changing of the seasons – crisp autumn air and diminishing daylight always stirs up a longing for comfort foods. Now we are in the throes of winter in Ohio, and our nation’s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, predicted 6 more weeks until spring. At the time of this writing, we still have at least 3 weeks to go! We have experienced subzero temps our southern souls aren’t used to 🥶 and are earnestly seeking anything that will warm our bodies and lift our spirits.

Soup does that – whether it’s our instinctive longing for chicken noodle when sick, or the nostalgia brought on by some tomato and grilled cheese – it carries with it a sense of coziness and well-being. I’m reminded of something my friend told me about once – the Danish concept of hygge. Hard to pronounce and difficult to explain, hygge (“hoo-gah”) is a small word with a big imagination. According to The Modern Dane, “It’s used to describe a cozy mood, a comfortable togetherness, and the sense of wellness and contentment that comes from enjoying the simple things in life.” There is no agenda; it’s a step away from the daily rush to spend time with close friends or family, share a meal or some wine, unwind, and celebrate small joys. There is no pressure, and hygge can be found in the simplest of moments. This will look a little different for everyone, but for me it means filling my environment with things like lit candles, some soft piano jazz, a plush throw blanket or a favorite sweater. I’ll make space for activities like stargazing or board games with the hubby or cuddling up to watch a beloved movie. I’ll indulge in hot cider and fresh cookies… or soup.

Creating an atmosphere of hygge seems like the perfect way to spend the rest of the winter!
If you’d like to learn more about hygge, check out this article: 5 Ways to Bring Hygge to Your Home | The Modern Dane. And I’d love to hear what this looks like for you!
Til next time, friends… shine bright!