Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Superb. Delectable. Lovely. Heavenly. These are a few of the words that could be used (and have been, from guests) to describe this soup of my mom's. The recipe is more time-intensive than your typical soup recipe, but the result will honestly take you to a whole new dimension of soup heaven!

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

If you want to make your own gnocchi for the soup, here is the recipe. (If that's more time than you want to take, buy your gnocchi pre-made, in the pasta isle.)

Gnocchi:

1 lb. potatoes: boiled, cooled in fridge overnight, peeled, trimmed, and riced or mashed
¼ tsp. pepper
1 tsp. salt
Pinch of nutmeg
1 c. whole wheat flour (plus additional as needed when mixing)
2 Tb. melted butter

Mix potatoes, pepper, salt, nutmeg, and flour. Slowly add butter. Add additional flour 1 Tb. at a time as needed. Roll out and cut into 1 inch square pieces.

Soup:

1/3 c. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. chicken cut in largish chunks
1/3 c. whole wheat flour
½ carrot
1 celery rib
¼ c. onion
½ c. fresh spinach or swiss chard torn in smallish pieces
2 c. whipping cream
2 c. milk
2 cans chicken broth (or more)--or use homemade bone broth
Cracked pepper to taste

1 lb. of gnocchi (recipe above)

Melt butter on medium heat in soup pan. Saute garlic.

Add chicken and cook through.

Stir in flour and mix well until flour is cooked into chicken.

Put two cups milk in blender with carrots, onion, and celery cut in chunks. Blend just until vegetable pieces are small.

Add mixture, whipping cream, spinach, cracked pepper, and broth. Bring almost to boil, stirring constantly so doesn't stick to bottom of pot.

Add gnocchi and cook about 4 or 5 more minutes. Slowly savor.