Chicken Gnocchi Soup

I thought that I had posted this long ago, but I guess my brain is dumb. This soup rocks! Delicious and creamy and great.

Side note: the first time I made it, mom randomly gave me a package of gnocchi that she had ordered on Amazon, they were delicious. Yesterday when I made it, I had just picked up a package at WalMart. They were not very good really dry and dusty feeling. So I guess the moral is don't buy gnocchi from cheap places. Or something. 

Also this soup if made as posted is crazy thick. I ended up adding some milk at the end to thin it down a little. I would follow the recipe and then if you also think it's too thick, add the milk when you add the spinach and chicken. 

You can find vacuum packed gnocchi near the other pastas or in the frozen/ refrigerator area.  

http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2012/10/hearty-chicken-gnocchi-soup.html

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups fat free half-and-half
• 1 cup lowfat milk
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 16 ounce package gnocchi
• 1-2 cups cooked, shredded or diced chicken breasts
• 1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In a 4- or 5-quart pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until hot and rippling. Add the chopped onion, carrots and thyme. Cook until the onion is translucent and carrots are slightly tender, stirring often, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
2. Whisk in the flour and cook, whisking or stirring constantly, until the flour is lightly golden, 1-2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the half-and-half. Whisk in the milk and chicken broth. Stir while bringing the mixture to a boil over medium to medium-high heat.
3. Cook, stirring often, until the mixture is slightly thickened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the uncooked gnocchi and simmer over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. The soup should thicken up quite a bit while the gnocchi is cooking. Stir in the chicken and spinach and cook for 1-2 minutes until heated through. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.