Sausage Gnocchi Soup
Make a creamy and hearty one-pot meal with this Sausage Gnocchi Soup. Featuring Italian sausage, pillowy gnocchi, and spinach in a rich broth, it’s ready in 35 minutes and tastes like pure comfort.
Equipment
- Heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 400 g Italian sausage, casings removed and cut into chunks (1 lb)
- 1 medium onion, finely diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon red chilli flakes
- 75 ml dry white wine (1/3 cup)
- 1 litre chicken stock (4 cups)
- 150 ml double cream (3/4 cup)
- 500 g gnocchi
- 1 handful baby spinach
- 30 g freshly grated Parmesan (1/4 cup)
Instructions
- Warm the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, then add the Italian sausage and break it into smaller pieces as it cooks for 4 to 5 minutes. The sausage should lose its raw look and pick up browned edges, which builds the deep savory base for the whole soup.
- Add the onion, carrot, and celery and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring so the vegetables soften slightly in the sausage fat. Then stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red chilli flakes for 1 minute, until the mixture smells fragrant and the garlic no longer smells sharp.
- Pour in the dry white wine and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits, then cook for 1 minute. Once the wine is mostly reduced and the bottom looks clean, add the chicken stock, bring it to a boil, lower the heat, and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the double cream, then add the gnocchi and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or according to the package directions. The soup is ready for the final step when the gnocchi float and the broth looks creamy enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.
- Stir in the baby spinach and freshly grated Parmesan, season to taste, and serve right away. The spinach should just wilt into the hot soup and the Parmesan should melt in without clumping.
Notes
Flavor Tip: Take the time to brown the sausage properly. Pale sausage leads to a flatter broth, while well-browned sausage brings real depth and a rich, savory flavor to the soup.
Texture Tip: To keep the soup silky smooth, add the cream over gentle heat and avoid boiling it. A rapid boil can cause the dairy to separate or curdle.
Storage: Leftover soup can be refrigerated in an airtight container. For freezing, it's best to freeze the soup base before adding the cream, gnocchi, and spinach to maintain the best texture upon reheating.
Nutrition information is an estimate based on common ingredients and serving sizes. Values may vary depending on brands, portions, and substitutions.