Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

This soup is inspired by the Chicken Gnocchi soup served at Olive Garden. I made my own gnocchi so that they would be gluten free, but I have heard that you can buy them at Target. Everyone in the family loved this except for Lexie. I will definitely make it again and for sure double the recipe. It came together fairly quickly, I chopped the veggies while the chicken was cooking and then made the gnocchi while the soup was simmering. It probably took me 30-45 minutes start to finish. I also had plenty of gnocchi dough left, that I am planning to freeze for future recipes. Bon appetit!

Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup

1/3 c olive oil or butter

2 cloves, minced garlic

1 lb chicken, cut into bite sized pieces

1/3 c flour (I used asian white rice flour)

1/2 carrot, shredded

1 stick of celery, finely chopped

1/2 c fresh spinach, chopped

2 1/2 c whole milk

1 1/2 c heavy cream

3 chicken bouillion cubes, smashed

2 cups of gnocchi, uncooked

salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot, warm butter or olive oil and saute garlic. Add in chicken and cook until done. Remove chicken and add flour to make a roux. Add milk and heavy cream, stir until smooth. Add veggies and bouillion cubes and simmer until veggies are soft, stirring occasionally. Add chicken and gnocchi and simmer for 3-4 minutes until gnocchi is cooked through. If soup is too thick, add some warm milk to thin.

Grandma's Gnocchi

6 russet potatoes (I used one cup of potato pearls cooked according to directions)

1 c flour (I used asian white rice flour)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tbsp olive oil

1 pinch salt

If using real potatoes, put in boiling water and cook until tender. Drain, and mash or put through a ricer.

Place mashed potatoes in a large bowl, stir in olive oil, egg and salt. Knead in enough flour to make a soft dough. On a floured surface, roll dough into a long rope. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces.

Cook gnocchi in boiling water for about 3-5 minutes and serve with your favorite pasta sauce.