Ingredients

2 tbsp. butter

1 medium onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 medium carrot, julienned or shredded

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 c. low-sodium chicken broth

3 sprigs thyme

2 c. half-and-half

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 c. cooked chicken, shredded

1 (16-oz.) package fresh gnocchi 

2 c. baby spinach

Preparation

Step 1In a large pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute.Step 2Pour in chicken broth and deglaze, scraping up any caramelized bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Add thyme sprigs and bring to a boil.Step 3Reduce heat to low and simmer 20 minutes, allowing the flavors to develop. Stir in half-and-half and return soup to a simmer. Remove thyme sprigs and season to taste with salt and pepper.Step 4Add chicken and gnocchi and simmer, cooking until gnocchi are just tender according to package directions. Stir in spinach and cook until just wilted. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

Gnocchi is an underrated pantry staple that’s great as the star of a dish, but also works incredibly well in soups. It’s almost like making chicken n’ dumplings with half the time and effort! To go the extra mile, we recommend making your own chicken stock to really soup up (get it?) this recipe! Tried it? Let us know how it came out in the comments below!