I love making soup for dinner in the fall and winter. It is so satisfying to sit down to a hot bowl of soup when it is cold outside. I also love that it is a way to get a lot of veggies into our meal in a way everyone likes. Gnocchi soup with bacon and rosemary has a creamy broth that also includes thyme, basil, fennel, and parmesan to amp up the flavor.
One of my favorite ways to serve soup for dinner is with a salad on the side, and some homemade bread or rolls. I served this today with the good salad, and some homemade buttered sourdough bread.
I used fresh store bought gnocchi for this. It isn’t as good as homemade gnocchi, but it works well in a soup since it is slightly more dense and holds together better than homemade. You can also buy frozen gnocchi and that would work well too. No matter which type of gnocchi you use, it is best to cook it separately in boiling water, then drain and add to the soup right before serving. This allows the gnocchi to maintain the best texture in the soup. If you plan to eat this as leftovers the next day, store the soup separately from the cooked gnocchi and combine them when reheating so the gnocchi doesn’t get too soggy.
Gnocchi Soup with Bacon and Rosemary
Ingredients
- 6 slices of bacon cooked and chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 4 carrots chopped
- 4 celery stalks chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp dried rosemary crushed
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 tsp chicken powder
- 1 packaged chopped frozen kale or 1 bunch fresh, washed and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups cream light cream, whole milk, or coconut milk
- 1/2 cup grated parm
- 1 lb gnocchi
Instructions
- Add 1 tbsp of fat from cooking the bacon plus the oil to a soup pot. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, basil, rosemary, red pepper flakes, fennel, garlic powder, onion powder and a little salt and pepper to the pot. Cook for a few minutes until the vegetables are softened.
- Stir in the butter and let it melt. Then stir in the flour. Slowly add the broth, whisking so no lumps form. Simmer for 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Add the kale, cream or milk, and the parmesan and stir gently. Allow to come to a gentle simmer. In another pot, cook the gnocchi according to the directions. Drain and add to the soup. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Serve topped with the chopped bacon and more grated parmesan.