· recipe ·
Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup with Spinach
Chicken and gnocchi soup is best understood as Italian American comfort food rather than one fixed regional Italian dish. Home and restaurant versions range from brothy to almost chowder-like.
Time and servings
- Prep
- 35 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 95 min
- Servings
- 6
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- about 430
- Protein
- 28 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
Cook the potatoes
Choose either boiling or baking. Boiled potatoes make a softer, moister dough; baked potatoes make a drier dough that usually needs less flour. To boil, put the whole unpeeled potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until a thin knife slides easily into the center, then drain them. To bake, pierce the potatoes and bake at 425°F220°C for 60 to 75 minutes, until tender.
Prepare the soup ingredients
While the potatoes cook, dice the onion, carrot, and celery, mince the garlic, and chop the spinach.
Mash the potatoes
Peel the potatoes while they are warm. Pass them through a potato ricer, or mash them with a potato masher until no lumps remain. Spread the potato out briefly to let the steam escape.
Mix the dough
Add the yolk, 1/2 tsp3 g of the salt, and 1 cup120 g of the flour to the warm potato. Mix gently until no dry flour remains. If the dough is too sticky to roll, add flour a spoonful at a time until it is soft and slightly tacky. You may not need all the flour.
Roll and cut the ropes
Divide the dough into portions. Roll each into a rope about 3/4 inch2 cm thick and cut it into 3/4 inch2 cm pieces, using only enough flour to prevent sticking.
Carpentry Dynasty gnocchi boards15% off with code WOFG15Shop on Amazon →Add the ridges
Roll each piece over a gnocchi board to create beautiful, well-defined ridges that help the sauce cling. A fork can make simple grooves.
Soften the vegetables
Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook for about 8 minutes, until the onion softens. Add the garlic, thyme, and pepper and cook for 1 minute.
Cook the chicken
Cut the chicken into 3/4 inch2 cm pieces. Add the broth and bring it to a simmer, then add the chicken and cook for 8 to 12 minutes, until it is cooked through. If you use a thermometer, the center should reach 165°F74°C.
Add the half-and-half
Stir in the half-and-half and bring the soup back to a gentle simmer over low heat.
Cook the gnocchi and serve
Add the gnocchi and spinach to the gently simmering soup and stir once. When the gnocchi float and the spinach has wilted, taste and add up to 1/2 tspup to 3 g of the remaining salt if needed. Remove the soup from the heat. Ladle the soup into bowls, dividing the chicken, vegetables, and gnocchi evenly. Serve immediately.
Chicken Gnocchi Soup Questions
What makes this soup creamy?
Half-and-half gives the chicken broth its creamy texture. After adding it, bring the soup back to a gentle simmer over low heat. The homemade potato gnocchi and spinach go in last.
Do you cook gnocchi before adding them to soup?
For this recipe, no. Add the freshly shaped gnocchi directly to the soup once the chicken is cooked and the half-and-half has been added. When the gnocchi float and the spinach wilts, take the pot off the heat and serve. Leaving it simmering will soften the gnocchi further.
More soup ideas
For a different bowl, try Marry Me Chicken Gnocchi Soup or Gnocchi Lasagna Soup. Explore the gnocchi soup guide for more combinations.
