Creamy Italian Sausage and Gnocchi Soup

Creamy Italian Sausage and Gnocchi Soup

🕒 Ready in: 35 minutes

🍽 Serves: 4–6

Ingredients:

1 lb (450g) Italian sausage (mild or spicy), casing removed

1 tbsp olive oil (if needed)

1 small onion, diced

2–3 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium carrots, chopped

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Salt & pepper, to taste

ble broth)

1 (16 oz / 450g) package potato gnocchi

1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half)

1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella or Italian blend cheese

Optional: 2 cups fresh spinach or kale, roughly chopped

Fresh parsley or grated Parmesan, for garnish

4 cups chicken broth (or vegetable)

Instructions:

Brown the sausage:
In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook the sausage over medium-high heat until browned and cooked through. Break it into small chunks as it cooks. Drain excess fat if needed.

Sauté the vegetables:
Add a splash of olive oil if the pot is dry. Add diced onion, carrots, and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 4–5 minutes. Stir in basil, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Add broth & simmer:
Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a gentle boil. Add gnocchi and simmer for 4–5 minutes, or until gnocchi is tender and floats.

Make it creamy:
Reduce heat to low. Stir in the cream and shredded cheese until melted and smooth. Add spinach or kale at this stage if using, and cook until wilted (2–3 minutes).

Serve:
Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley or extra cheese. Serve with crusty bread for dipping!

✅ Tips:

For a lighter version: Swap cream for evaporated milk or a mix of milk + Greek yogurt.

Spicy twist: Use hot Italian sausage and add red pepper flakes.

Make it vegetarian: Use plant-based sausage and vegetable broth.

🍽 Nutrition (approximate per serving, 1/6 of recipe):

• Calories: ~480

• Protein: 22g

• Fat: 31g

• Carbohydrates: 28g

• Fiber: 2g

• Sugar: 3g

• Sodium: ~850mg