Italian Sausage Gnocchi
This Gnocchi Soup is one of my all-time favorite soups! It’s loaded with pillowy gnocchi, Italian sausage, garlic, basil and veggies enveloped in a creamy tomato Parmesan broth. It's easy to make, versatile and pantry friendly - you can swap the sausage for ground beef, turkey or chicken and the veggies for your favs. This gnocchi soup makes a scrumptious, one pot weeknight dinner (but is tasty enough for company!) and reheats beautifully for prep ahead dinner or lunches.
Servings 6 - 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound Hot Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- pinch-1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional for spicy
- 1/3 cup flour
- 6 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 14.5 oz. cans fire roasted diced tomatoes, NOT drained
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp EACH dried oregano, salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 bay leaves
ADD LATER
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups half and half
- 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh basil chopped
- 1 pound gnocchi
Instructions
- Heat one tablespoon oil in a large soup pot/Dutch oven over medium heat-high. Add sausage, onions, carrots and celery and cook until sausage is cooked through and onions are tender.
- Sprinkle in flour and cook, while stirring, for 2 minutes (it will be thick). Whisk cornstarch with ½ cup chicken broth (more or less just so it dissolves) then gradually stir into the soup followed by remaining broth, tomatoes, bouillon, seasonings and bay leaves.
- Cover and bring to a boil, leaving about a 1-inch gap. Reduce to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally and replacing the lid.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese until smooth followed by half and half. Bring the soup to a simmer then stir in gnocchi and fresh basil. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes or just until the gnocchi are cooked.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste (I like more salt) and add additional half and half or milk if desired for a less “chunky” soup and warm through.
Video
Notes
*Don’t miss the recipe video at the top!
Tips and Tricks
- Gnocchi. Pre-packaged gnocchi can either be found fresh in the refrigerated section, frozen in the freezer section, or dried on the shelf with other pastas. I recommend fresh gnocchi as my first choice followed by frozen gnocchi. If using frozen gnocchi, do not thaw them first. Simply add your frozen gnocchi directly to the soup. If allowed to thaw first, they will turn into soggy mashed potatoes.
- Alternate ground protein. You can swap the sausage for lean ground beef or turkey seasoned with Italian seasonings, fennel and a pinch of red pepper flakes to mimic Italian sausage.
- Customize vegetables. In addition to the mirepoix, you can add whatever veggies you have on hand or mix it up just for fun! Green beans, zucchini, cabbage, bell peppers etc. Just be aware most vegetables only need 10 minutes to cook – see my detailed instructions in the Variations section.
- Red pepper flakes. I only suggest using red pepper flakes if you want a spicier soup because the sausage already will have a little kick. We love heat at our house, so we use both. You may also use mild Italian sausage and add red pepper flakes to taste.
- Consistency. You can make this gnocchi soup more or less “chunky” or more or less creamy. For a less chunky soup, simply add additional broth or half and half at the end of cooking.
HOW TO store and REHEAT
- Storage: let the gnocchi soup cool to room temperature, then cover and store in your Dutch oven or transfer to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- Stove: reheat large batches of gnocchi soup on the stove over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until warm. You may want to add some additional broth or half and half to the soup because the gnocchi will absorb some of the liquid while sitting overnight.
- Microwave: transfer individual servings to a microwave-safe dish, cover with a microwave-safe lids or paper towel. Microwave for 90 seconds, stir, then continue to microwave for 20-second intervals, if needed.