Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients:

Slurry:

• All-purpose flour: 3 tablespoons (or gluten-free flour mix)
• Half and half: ¼ cup
• Cold water: 1 cup, divided

Soup:

• Sweet Italian chicken sausage: 7 ounces, removed from casings
• Olive oil spray: For cooking
• Reduced sodium chicken broth: 5 cups
• Shallot: 1 large, diced
• Garlic: 6 cloves, minced
• Tomato paste: 2 teaspoons
• Boneless, skinless chicken breast: 1 pound
• Parmesan cheese rind: 1 rind
• Sundried tomatoes in oil: ⅓ cup, drained and chopped
• Dried Italian seasoning: ½ teaspoon
• Gnocchi: 16-ounce package (or gluten-free gnocchi)
• Fresh baby spinach leaves: 4 cups, roughly chopped
• Parmesan cheese: ¼ cup, grated
• Fresh basil: 2 tablespoons, optional for garnish

Instructions:

1. Make the Slurry: In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup cold water, half and half, and flour until well blended. Set aside.
2. Cook the Sausage: Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Spray with olive oil, then add the sausage. Cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it's no longer pink and slightly browned.
3. Add Aromatics: Add the diced shallots and minced garlic to the pot. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and add the chicken breast.
4. Simmer the Soup: Pour in the remaining ½ cup of cold water, chicken broth, parmesan rind, sundried tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. Bring to a boil, then partially cover and simmer on low for about 25 minutes, until the chicken is tender and shreds easily.
5. Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken from the pot and shred it with two forks. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.
6. Thicken the Soup: Slowly stir in the slurry, mixing well. Bring the soup back to a boil.
7. Add Gnocchi & Spinach: Stir in the gnocchi, spinach, parmesan cheese, and basil. Cook according to the gnocchi package directions or until the gnocchi floats to the top and the soup thickens. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, discard the parmesan rind, and serve.

Notes:

• Variations:
  • Sausage: You can use turkey sausage instead of chicken sausage.
  • Parmesan Rind: Adds depth to the soup, but can be skipped if unavailable.
  • Shallot: Can be substituted with red onion.
  • Italian Seasoning: If you don’t have it, use dried basil and oregano.