30-Minute Chicken Gnocchi Soup

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A creamy, comforting chicken and gnocchi soup that comes together in half an hour thanks to two shortcuts: shredded rotisserie chicken and shelf-stable gnocchi. The gnocchi go in at the very end so they stay pillowy instead of dissolving into paste, and the broth is thickened with a light cornstarch slurry rather than a heavy flour roux — so it's silky and spoon-coating but never gluey. Spinach, sweet grated carrot and a little thyme round it out.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 2 medium carrots, coarsely grated
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half or whole milk
• 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken, skin removed
• 16 oz shelf-stable potato gnocchi
• 4 cups loosely packed baby spinach
• 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy 6-quart pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and grated carrot with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just starting to turn golden at the edges, 7 to 8 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, dried thyme, black pepper and nutmeg. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Pour in the chicken broth, raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce to a steady simmer and cook uncovered for 8 minutes to let the vegetables finish softening and the broth pick up flavor.
4. Whisk the cornstarch into the cold water in a small bowl until completely smooth with no lumps. While the soup simmers, drizzle in the slurry while stirring, then let it bubble gently for 2 minutes — it will thicken to the consistency of a light cream sauce that coats the back of a spoon.
5. Stir in the half-and-half and the shredded rotisserie chicken. Bring back to a bare simmer over medium-low heat; do not let it boil hard once the dairy is in, or it can separate. Taste and add the remaining salt as needed.
6. Add the gnocchi and cook, stirring gently once or twice, for 3 to 4 minutes only — they are done as soon as they float and are tender to the bite. Any longer and they start to break down and cloud the soup.
7. Stir in the spinach and cook just until wilted, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat, then stir in the Parmesan and lemon juice.
8. Let the soup stand off the heat for 5 minutes to settle and thicken slightly, then ladle into bowls and finish with extra Parmesan and black pepper.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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