Recipe: Gnocchi & Chicken Vegetable Soup

I posted about this a few days ago, and got a request to share the recipe so here goes! This is simple and easy and could easily be adapted to add different veggies and a different starch. I also used most of the meat from a rotisserie chicken that I picked up last minute, but I could have eaten this without the meat as well. (I have to satisfy my carnivore boyfriend!)


Gnocchi & Chicken Vegetable Soup

• 2/3 of the meat from one store-bought rotisserie chicken, skin removed
  
• 3 carrots, cleaned, skinned and sliced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 bag frozen corn
• 1/2 bag frozen okra
• 1/2 bunch kale, washed and chopped (stems removed)
• 4 low-sodium chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 bay leaves
• 6-7 cups water
• 1 package gnocchi (potato dumplings)
• Herbs & spices (I used what I had on hand, dried oregano, basil and a bit of cumin)
• S & P to taste
• Olive Oil
  

Start by heating up some olive oil in a large soup pot, and then add the onion and garlic. Sautee until translucent. Add in the carrots and cook for a bit in the oil and onion mixture. Start adding in the water, a few cups at a time until the pot is about 1/2 full. Add the bouillon,* stir and let cook through until the cubes are dissolved (just a few minutes). I added a few pieces of the skin here to add flavor and then removed it before I added the veggies, but you can skip that if you would like. :)

Then add the rest of your frozen veggies, the bay leaves, and your other spices. Cover the pot and let cook on medium to medium high heat for 10 minutes. Then Add in the chicken and the kale and cover and let cook for 10 more minutes.

You can actually let the soup cook for an hour or more, the longer it simmers the longer all of the spices and other flavors will mingle together. It just depends on how much time you have and/or how hungry the mouths are you're feeding. :)

Add the gnocchi at the end, and when it floats it's done! Usually only takes about 5 minutes. Add S & P to taste (remember that the chicken and the stock are probably already heavily salted). Remove bay leaves before eating.

A note here on gnocchi:
This was my first time cooking with these yummy dumplings, and I just happened to pick up a package from the pasta aisle at Target a few weeks ago. Upon further inspection, I realized they were made with dehydrated potato flakes and some other unappealing things, and I could definitely taste that in the soup! Apparently they are super easy to make, so here are a few links to some recipes. (I think Sweet Potato or Pumpkin would be a serious UPGRADE! I plan on trying that sometime soon.)

Mario Batali's Gnocchi
Sweet Potato Gnocchi!
Pumpkin Gnocchi from Delicious Days
How to Make Homemade Gnocchi from Bitchincamero
Crisp Gnocchi with Lemon and Garlic Greens (Kale!)

Here is a video showing you how to make your own!

Italian Food:How To Make Gnocchi


*You can also use powdered bouillion as well, it's harder to find in low-sodium though and more expensive so I usually stick to the cubes. They also sell veggie bouillion, but still harder to find in low-sodium.