Return to the Kitchen's Sausage, Gnocchi & Spinach Soup
A hearty dinner the whole family will love
We were so happy to have our friend, Return to the Kitchen, make this hearty (and downright craveable) winter soup for us. This Sausage, Gnocchi & Spinach Soup is the perfect recipe for warming up on a cold winter day!
We love that it can be made in one pot in just 35 minutes. Plus, it’s loaded with hearty ingredients like spinach, carrots, celery, onion, gnocchi and sausage, that will keep the whole family full and satisfied!
SAUSAGE, GNOCCHI & SPINACH SOUP:
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4-6 large servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. ground sausage, any kind
1 lb. gnocchi, small or mini size
2 cups fresh spinach
3 ribs of celery
3 carrots
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 yellow onion
8 cups broth, chicken or vegetable
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Annie’s Organic Crescent Rolls
DIRECTIONS:
1. Chop carrots, celery and onion into small pieces. Try to keep them smaller than the gnocchi so you don’t have two or more large things competing for space on your spoon! Roughly chop spinach and remove any large stems. Set aside.
2. Put a large pot on the stove and heat to medium. Add olive oil.
3. Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until vegetables start to become tender.
4. Add ground sausage and stir, breaking up while cooking. The sausage can be left in larger pieces or broken up smaller, depending on your preference. Cook until completely cooked through and starting to brown.
5. Add broth and cover the pot. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil.
6. Once boiling, add in the gnocchi and chopped spinach and lower the heat back to medium. Stir frequently; cooking the gnocchi according to the time on the package (which should be just a few minutes). The gnocchi will float to the top when they are done cooking.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste
8. Optional: Finish with Annie’s Organic Crescent Rolls (they’re sure to be a hit!)
9. Serve and enjoy!
QUESTIONS AND MODIFICATIONS:
Can this soup be modified? How about vegan or vegetarian?
Absolutely! We used a pork sausage, however chicken, turkey or beef will work just as well. If you cannot find ground sausage, purchase links and remove it from the casings before cooking. The spinach can be swapped out for any other green that you have on hand such as kale, swiss chard, collard greens, etc.
This recipe can be made vegan or vegetarian with a couple tweaks: substitute the sausage for your favorite vegan or vegetarian option, and replace swap the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
Where can I find gnocchi?
Gnocchi should be readily available in your local grocery store. It is generally located in the pasta section with the specialty pastas. If is not there, check the grains or refrigerated pastas. Most gnocchi is available shelf stable making it perfect to keep in your pantry!
Can I freeze this soup?
I would not recommend freezing this soup because the gnocchi will not stand up to freezing and defrosting too well. However, this soup is great to make ahead for the week and bring as leftovers to work.
WHERE TO FIND RETURN TO THE KITCHEN:
If you enjoyed this recipe be sure to check out our other soup recipes! Connect with us at www.returntothekitchen.com, on Instagram @returntothekitchen or on Facebook!
