Chicken Gnocchi Soup – The Ultimate Comfort Food
Three years ago, my father had open heart surgery… a
triple bypass and a carotid endarterectomy, all at the same
time. Approximately six hours after he went into the surgery, he was wheeled
out. The doctors reported that he went through the surgery well and he went off
the respirator a few hours later. We were all relieved and expected the average
recovery, which involved rehab and being released within ten days.
Little did we know that Daddy would not
recover so easily. A lifelong smoker, he ended up on and off the respirator for
weeks. He developed pneumonia, reacted poorly to medications, just about anything
that could go wrong with recovery did go wrong. Finally, six weeks after the
surgery, he was finally released to go home and do rehab from home.
During the six weeks he was in the
hospital, my four siblings and I, along with my oldest niece, switched out
shifts at the hospital. Daddy was rarely left alone. One sister and I did not
live close, so we stayed at Dad’s house and drove back and forth, one hour each
way, to the hospital, for most of this most difficult time. We grew very tired
of fast food and hospital food. Then, we discovered the gnocchi soup at Macaroni
Grill. I think we ate that soup every day for two weeks. Comfort in a bowl.
Like I stated, Daddy eventually was
released and has recovered. But, my sister and I still talk about that
wonderful soup. One day, about a year ago, I discovered this Chicken Gnocchi
Soup recipe from The Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker blog. Oh, heaven. It
was as good as that wonderful soup that we ate so often.
Now, I will warn you, don’t even think
about the calories involved. And there is prep work involved. It normally takes
me about three hours to make.
Chicken Gnocchi Soup
16
ounces gnocchi
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup onion, diced (I use much less, maybe half an onion, but it’s according to
taste)
1/2 cup celery (about 2 stalks), diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup flour
1 quart half and half*
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth (I use low sodium)
1 cup carrots, shredded (I usually add a shredded thumbnail at this point –
yuck!)
2 (4 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced and cooked (I usually
bake it in the oven and add more than 4 ounces)
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped (I use baby spinach and add more, it does
not change the flavor)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I add more because I like the flavor)
Bring a medium saucepan filled with water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi according
to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the
onion, celery and garlic and sauté until the onion becomes translucent, about 7
minutes (the vegetables should be tender). Whisk in the flour, forming a roux.
Cook for 1 minute. Pour in the half and half, and add the carrots and chicken
to the dutch oven. Simmer until the mixture begins to thicken, stirring often,
about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth, and allow the mixture to thicken again,
stirring often, about 5 minutes or until the consistency desired is achieved. (I’ll
be honest with you, this 5 minutes and 5 minutes doesn’t work for me. I usually
cook at least 15 minutes at each stage for the best consistency) Stir in the
gnocchi, spinach, and seasonings and simmer until soup is heated through. (I
add the seasonings first to distribute properly).
Serves: 8 (4 as an entrée)
*I don't recommend using a low-fat or fat-free version of half and half, but if
you choose to do so, make sure you do not let the soup come to a boil as this
will cause the cream to break (making it grainy).
