Chicken Gnocchi Soup - Olive Garden Copy

I ate at Olive Garden the other night and ordered the Chicken Gnocchi soup. It was beyond all my expectations!

Generally, after Thanksgiving, I make turkey noodle soup - this year, we weren't home for Thanksgiving, so my kids made me promise to make our traditional Thanksgiving dinner for Christmas and to make our traditional Christmas dinner for New Years - love that my kiddos are as flexible as I am:)

So, we had some left over turkey - and I wanted to eat it in a different way - food I have + food inspiration = pure awesomeness...

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

1 T extra virgin oil

4 T butter

4 T flour

1 qt half and half

1/2 c celery, finely diced

1 onion, diced

1 t minced garlic
24 oz chicken stock

1 c carrots, diced

Turkey or chicken breasts, cooked and diced (you can use a rotisserie chicken)

1 package gnocchi, cooked  (you can find these in gourmet/pasta section of the grocery store - you may want to cut the gnocchi in half if it is large, or purchase the mini size if available) or you can be a super fancy pants and make your own - easiest recipe HERE!! 

1 c of fresh spinach coarsely chopped

1/2 t salt

1/2 t thyme

1/2 t parsley

1/4 t nutmeg

Saute the onion, celery, and garlic over medium heat in the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add the flour and make a roux (your veg should be coated in a paste at this point. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half. I added 1/2 a quart and mixed it in well before adding the rest. It's better not to "shock" your components together - hot roux + cold (refrigerated half and half) - you do the math. Cook gnocchi according to package directions - or if you are a fancy pants, cook according to those directions.

Into the roux, add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick, add the chicken stock. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning; simmer until soup is heated through.  Before serving season to taste by adding additional salt.

*For Christmas dinner, I made Alton Brown's Super-Tasty, No-Fuss, Time-Tested, Totaly Foolproof Bird as that recipe calls for Thyme (an herb/aromatic that pairs beautifully with poultry), I wanted to make sure to add that into the soup - thyme adds another flavor level to the soup. I have no idea if Olive Garden uses thyme in their soup.  

My nearly 10 year old pickiest eater on the planet took one bite and said "I just got a one way ticket to FLAVORTOWN - and I'm lovin' it!" Super delicious, super hearty, great way to use extra turkey or chicken.

Easy Gnocchi

We stuck with my husbands family tradition of going to dinner at the Olive Garden for Christmas Eve. The only time we eat there is that on that night - so I try to be adventurous. 

You can have soup or salad with your entree so I ordered a new menu item, Chicken and Gnocchi soup to try. My 8 year old foodie tried the Zuppa Toscana Soup - also very good!

Anyway, if you can believe it - I had never eaten gnocchi before that night. Ever. I'm pretty sure that is considered a sin in some cultures. 

I've heard of it - and have known for a while what it is - but only because I watch Top Chef:)

I was feeling very much like a fancy pants making these - but they were so easy, I didn't need my fancy pants on at all - hahaha

Easy Gnocchi
1 (1-pound) russet potato

1/2 t salt

1/4 t freshly ground black pepper

1 large egg, beaten

1/4 c flour

Pierce the potato all over with a fork. Microwave the potato until tender, turning once, about 12 minutes. Cut the potato in half and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; discard the skin. Using a fork, mash the potato well. Mash in the salt and pepper. Mix in the egg. Sift the flour over the potato mixture and knead just until blended.

Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Roll each piece between your palms and the work surface into a 1/2-inch-diameter rope (about 20 inches long). Cut the dough into 1-inch pieces. Roll each piece of dough over a wooden paddle with ridges or over the tines of a fork to form grooves in the dough. *a step I skipped bc it is going into soup.

Cook the gnocchi in a large pot of boiling salted water for about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the gnocchi from the pot and serve (however you are going to use them – in this particular case, I’m making a copy of Olive Garden’s Chicken and Gnocchi soup.

*Adapted from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe