Creamy Sausage Gnocchi Soup

I am completely besotted with this Creamy Sausage Gnocchi Soup! Soft plump gnocchi floating in a creamy soup broth with tasty bits of Italian sausage, sweet carrot, celery and baby spinach. The first spoonful is an awesome soup moment! The last is so sad….

I used to be a real snob about store bought gnocchi, having experienced dense, rubbery specimens that tasted like doughy instant mash back in my uni days. So for a long while I steered clear of them until a friend convinced me I was being unfair and I was roped back into the convenience gnocchi world (this was the first recipe that brought me back!).

So I’m here today waving the pro-packet-gnocchi flag again, except this time I’m using it in soup like one would pasta or potato. It’s made with sausage meat (either Monday’s homemade one or regular shop bought), cooked to break it up like mince so it releases a stack of tasty flavour into the soup broth. And to make this a meal-in-a-bowl, I’ve also added carrots, celery and baby spinach.

It comes together in just 30 minutes, and it’s just so cosy and hearty. I love the way gnocchi looks, floating in the soup like soft pillows. Edible ones!

Ingredients in Creamy Sausage Gnocchi Soup

Here’s what you need to make bowl of extreme cosiness!

1. SAUSAGE MEAT

Use your favourite Italian or pork sausages. Excellent flavour shortcut because they’re pre-seasoned with flavour, and this soup relies on those flavours to flavour the broth. Just squeeze the meat out from the casings, or if you’re in the States, you can just use Bulk Italian Sausage Meat so you don’t have to do this (sweet, unless you want spicy). Otherwise, make your own Italian Sausage Meat! It’s just pork mince and basic spices. 🙂

In today’s recipe, I show both sausage options then I cook using the homemade Italian sausage meat.

2. FOR THE SOUP

And here’s everything else you need for the soup.

Gnocchi – The fresh gnocchi in the fridge is my preference because it’s made with real potato. However, the gnocchi from the pasta aisle works in this recipe too, though it does taste a little different as it’s made with reconstituted or dehydrated potato.
You could also make this with homemade ricotta gnocchi! Much easier and faster than the potato version (JB will share it one day, I promise).
Whichever you use, you just put it straight into the soup broth and simmer for a couple of minutes to cook. Faster than pasta, easier than peeling and chopping potatoes!!
Carrot, celery and baby spinach – These are the vegetables I use in this soup, classic soup choices with subtle flavour so they won’t flavour the broth – which is what I want. This broth is all about the sausage flavour!
Other options – Feel free to use whatever vegetables you want. Zucchini would be great (courgette). I could also see this with corn, peas, or chopped green beans. Capsicum/bell peppers and fennel would also be lovely but they will flavour the soup a bit. As for the baby spinach, any wilt-able greens will work in a pinch – kale is my first choice.
Onion and garlic – These are sautéed first to form the flavour base for the broth.
Chicken stock/broth and cream – The broth liquids. To cut down on calories, the cream can be substituted with milk or evaporated milk.
Flour – This is what thickens the soup to make it thick and creamy. For gluten-free, a cornflour/cornstarch slurry can be used instead but you’d also need to use gluten-free gnocchi (it does exist).
White wine – Wine always adds extra depth of flavour into anything you use it for. Use any dry white wine that’s not overly sweet or oaky. Chardonnay is my default these days, and no need to use an expensive one either. I use discounted bottles for cooking purposes (~$5 each). For non-alcoholic, use non-alcoholic wine or more chicken stock instead.
Parmesan – This adds a bump of extra tasty flavour into the broth. Unlike some recipes (like creamy pasta sauces), you can get away with using pre-grated parmesan here (from the fridge though please, no pasta aisle!) though freshly grated is a little step up. 🙂
Chilli flakes / red pepper flakes – I really like the tiniest hint of warmth in this soup, barely there spiciness. I also like the look of little red bits in the white soup. But feel free to leave it out!

How to make Creamy Sausage Gnocchi Soup

Once you start cooking, this comes together in around 20 minutes as the soup only needs 10 minutes simmering time and gnocchi cooks in 2 minutes. It’s surprisingly fast!

Cook sausage then remove – Heat the oil in a large heavy based pot over high heat. Add the sausage meat and cooking, breaking it up as you go, until cooked. Then use a slotted spoon to remove into a bowl, leaving the fat behind in the pot.

Sauté – In the same pot, add the onion and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes. Then add the celery, carrot, Italian herb mix and chilli flakes and cook for another 2 minutes.
Deglaze – Add wine and simmer rapidly, scraping the base of the pot, until it has mostly evaporated.

Flour – Add the flour and stir until you can no longer see any. All the vegetables will have a pasty coating.
Make soup broth – Add half the stock and stir to dissolve the flour into it, the stock will become cloudy. Then add the remaining stock, salt and pepper.

Simmer 10 minutes – Stir, bring to a simmer (increase to high to speed this up), then lower the heat to medium or medium high so it’s simmering gently. Simmer 5 minutes. Add the cream, simmer for another 5 minutes.
Gnocchi and parmesan – Add the parmesan and gnocchi. Cook per gnocchi packet directions (usually 2 minutes).

Spinach – Add spinach and stir until wilted, only 30 seconds or so.
Ladle into bowls and serve garnished with extra parmesan!

There you go! A big bowl of flavourful, cosy and comforting soup that’s actually got a good amount of veg in it too, and the only other thing I’d urge you to add is some hot crusty bread because hello! You can see this heading straight into your mouth, right??!

I very much hope there’s a bowl of this soup in your near future. I know how happy it made me when I was eating it – and I wish that same happiness upon everyone! – Nagi x