Ditalini’s Gnocchi Soup

• 2 cups diced chicken breast meat
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1/2 white onion, diced
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup shredded carrots
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tsp thyme
• 16 oz (1 package) potato gnocchi
• 2 cups half & half cream (or 1 cup heavy cream & 1 cup half & half)
• 1 cup fresh baby kale, chopped

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add chopped celery, onion, garlic, and carrots. Sauté until onions are translucent. Add chicken, chicken broth, thyme. Bring to boil and add gnocchi. Boil 3-4 minutes longer, then reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the cream and chopped kale, cook until kale is tender. Add salt & pepper to taste. Serve.

Notes

We used pre-made gnocchi, which came in a 16-ounce bag, perfect for this recipe. Some recipes call for chopped spinach, but Ditalini thought kale would hold up better in a soup and she was right. Some recipes call for half & half cream, but Ditalini uses a mixture of heavy and half & half for a richer, more chowder-like soup. If you don’t like black specks in a white soup, use white pepper.