Creamy Sausage Gnocchi Soup
This sausage gnocchi soup recipe simmers browned Italian sausage, pillowy potato gnocchi, and baby spinach in a silky Parmesan cream broth, all in one pot in about 45 minutes.
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large soup pot - 5 to 6 quart / 5 to 6 L
- Wooden spoon - for breaking up the sausage
- Soup Ladle - for serving
- Box grater or microplane - for the Parmesan
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil - 15 ml
- 1 pound Italian sausage - 450 g, casings removed (mild or hot)
- 1 medium yellow onion - about 1 cup or 150 g, diced
- 2 medium carrots - about 1 cup or 130 g, peeled and diced
- 2 celery stalks celery - about 2/3 cup or 100 g, diced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste - 30 g
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - optional
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour - 24 g
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth - 1.4 L
- 1 pound potato gnocchi - 450 g, shelf-stable or refrigerated
- 1 cup heavy cream - 240 ml
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach - 90 g, packed
- 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese - 75 g, plus more for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt - or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper - or to taste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage, press into an even layer, and let it crust for a minute before breaking it into crumbles. Cook 6 to 8 minutes until deeply browned, then transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the rendered fat behind.
- Lower heat to medium and add onion, carrots, and celery to the rendered fat. Cook 5 to 6 minutes until the onion is translucent and the vegetables soften, scraping up browned bits. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until the paste darkens, then sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute to form a loose roux.
- Pour in the broth slowly, stirring to work out any lumps, and scrape the bottom of the pot. Return the sausage, bring to a gentle boil.
- Add the gnocchi straight from the package and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they float and feel tender. Do not overcook.
- Reduce heat to low and stir in the heavy cream, then the spinach until wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan until melted, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and finish with extra Parmesan.
Notes
- Add the gnocchi last. Dropping them in with the broth at the start turns them to mush, so wait until the final five minutes.
- Brown the sausage hard. Real color on the meat means real flavor in the broth, so resist stirring too often while it sears.
- Keep a Parmesan rind on hand. Drop a rind into the simmering broth for a savory depth that pre-grated cheese cannot match.
- Temper if you worry about curdling. If your cream is cold, stir a ladle of hot broth into it first, then pour it back.
- Do not boil after the cream goes in. Keep the heat low once the cream is added so the broth stays silky rather than breaking.
- Season at the end. Sausage, broth, and Parmesan all bring salt, so wait until everything is combined before adjusting.
- Storage: Store cooled soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low to medium heat, adding a splash of broth or water to loosen it.
- Freeze-ahead trick: Make the soup through Step 4 without the gnocchi, cream, or spinach, then freeze the base for up to 3 months. Thaw, reheat, and finish with fresh gnocchi, cream, and spinach.
- Texture note: Shelf-stable gnocchi hold their shape better than refrigerated ones in a soup that sits, so reach for vacuum-packed when you know there will be leftovers.
- Variations: Add a 14.5-ounce can of crushed tomatoes with the broth for a Zuppa-style red version; swap spinach for kale added a few minutes earlier; use half-and-half for a lighter dairy option; or add a drained can of cannellini beans with the gnocchi for extra bulk.
Nutrition
Serving: 1BowlCalories: 520kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 20gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 15gSodium: 1100mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4g
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