This Creamy Chicken Sausage and Gnocchi Soup is the best! Loaded with a lusciously creamy base, tons of soft potato gnocchi and juicy caramelized chicken sausage! It has an amazing flavor and is so simple to whip up!
This post is sponsored by al fresco – however, all opinions are 100% my own. Thank you for continuing to support the brands that make OBB possible! #FallwithAlFresco
It’s soup season, y’all! Okay, well, technically it might still be 80 degrees where I live in North Carolina BUT….it’s soup season in my mind so that means it will be soup season in my kitchen!
But really though – thankfully by the end of the day, we are in the 70s so it’s not too terribly hot to eat soup. But, I feel like even if it was, I am a soup year round type of person.
I think it stems from that scene in The Parent Trap when she comes home from Summer camp and they’re making chili and cornbread for dinner. Anyone else watch that movie repeatedly as a kid?!
Anyway….back to soup.
This Creamy Gnocchi Soup is my absolute new favorite! Let me tell you why!
Why This Soup is the BEST:
First, y’all know I love anything dairy – and this soup is cream based! BUT – before you either freak out or get too excited – this isn’t your normal cream based soup.
I really love this particular base because it’s balanced out SO well. I use mostly chicken broth to half of the amount of half and half. This blends SO well and creates the perfect savory yet lusciously creamy soup broth that tastes SO delicious!
Another thing I love about the soup? The gnocchi!! If you didn’t know, gnocchi are adorable little bite size pieces of mashed potato. They are kind of like a pasta substitute but then also are totally different.
The starch from the potato does an amazing job of NATURALLY thickening up the soup. Yup, you heard it here, no roux, no flour, no cornstarch, no butter. And I LOVE that about this recipe. It makes it SO simple. I love a good roux as much as the next person, but the fact that you can just add everything for this soup into a pot and let it cook is GOLDEN!
I love the gnocchi in this soup because they’re so pillowy soft and fluffy – the texture is the perfect combination with the juicy alfresco chicken sausage.
Oh, and speaking of sausage, of course I used al fresco chicken sausage for this recipe! I used their sundried tomato flavor – but I would also recommend their roasted garlic flavor for this particular recipe!
By cooking the chicken sausage first thing, you get them extra caramelized which provides so much flavor from the sausage itself and it coats the bottom of the pot you are using which permeates the entire soup!
Lastly – the KALE! Yes, there is kale in this soup and it adds the best texture! It’s cooked but not overly cooked so it retains a slight crunch each time you bite into it.
So, creamy, not overly rich, pillowy soft gnocchi, juicy flavorful chicken sausage + perfectly cooked kale.
What’s not to love?! So let’s get into all of the ingredients you need:
Ingredients You Need:
- Al fresco chicken sausage (I used the sundried tomato flavor)
- Plain Potato Gnocchi
- Chicken Broth
- White Onion
- Fresh Garlic
- Italian Seasoning
- Half and Half
- Kale
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive oil
Best Soup Making Tips:
When it comes to soups, the first thing that I like to do is to chop everything that needs to be chopped and set it aside. This will save you time in the long run and keep you on track for a quick and simple meal!
Now that you have everything chopped and ready to go – get out your giant pot! Okay, it really doesn’t have to be giant. I used my dutch oven but you can just use a large pot.
Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to the pot and get it warming up on the oven on medium heat.
Add your sliced chicken sausages (I used an entire pack for this recipe!) and let them cook on one side for about 3 minutes and then flip and repeat! You want them to get caramelized and have good color – they should look something like this:
When they reach this color, remove them and set them on a plate aside for later.
Next, add the chopped onions directly into the pot (and some extra oil if needed) and let this cook for 2-3 minutes or until they become translucent. Add garlic at the end to make sure it doesn’t burn as well as seasonings! For this, I used Italian seasoning (a mix of thyme, basil and oregano!) and I loved it!
Something you must do is deglaze the pan! Add in chicken broth next and use a wooden spoon to get all of those caramelized bits from the chicken sausage at the bottom of the pan! This is PURE FLAVOR!
Let the chicken broth come to a boil and then add in the gnocchi! This will help cook them. Turn down the heat quickly after you add the gnocchi and let it simmer for several minutes.
Lastly, add back in the chicken sausage, add in the half and half and the kale.
The gnocchi, like mentioned above, will help to thicken the soup!
Let it simmer for 15 minutes or so – or until the soup begins to thicken.
Once it’s done, taste it! Adjust for seasoning. Add salt, pepper, more Italian seasoning etc. I garnished mine with a sprinkle of fresh parmesan and of course, some red pepper flakes for a little bit of spice. SO GOOD. Don’t forget to dunk some crusty bread in it!!
This is the perfect cozy, warm and creamy soup to make your Fall days a little bit better. I hope you all try out this recipe this season! – Haylie
Did you enjoy this recipe? Here are a few others you might like:
Mexican Street Corn and Chicken Chowder
Thank you so much for following along here, friends! Want to see more? Be sure to follow ourbalancedbowl on Instagram and tag me with your photo if you end up making a recipe! You can also post a photo of your recipe to the Our Balanced Bowl Facebook page! Like a recipe that you saw? Follow me on Pinterest here! I always love to see your re-creations! If you do make a recipe, it would make my whole day if you were to rate and comment so I can get your feedback! Lots of love! – Haylie
Creamy Chicken Sausage and Gnocchi Soup
This Creamy Chicken Sausage and Gnocchi Soup is the best! Loaded with a lusciously creamy base, tons of soft potato gnocchi and juicy caramelized chicken sausage! It has an amazing flavor and is so simple to whip up!
Ingredients
- 1 pack (4 sausage links) of al fresco chicken sausage in the sundried tomato flavor, diced into rounds
- 1 lb potato gnocchi
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups half and half
- 2 cups roughly chopped kale (de-stemmed) - can substitute spinach as well!
- 1/2 medium white onion, diced
- 3 medium cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning (or mixture of oregano and thyme)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- red pepper flakes, crusty bread and fresh thyme to garnish
Instructions
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Dice onions and mince garlic. Slice the chicken sausages into 1/4 inch rounds. Set aside.
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Add 1 tbsp olive oil to dutch oven or large pot and place on medium heat.
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Add in the chicken sausage rounds and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until they're caramelized - flip and repeat until both sides are equally browned. Once done, remove from the pot onto a plate and set aside.
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To the pot, add in the diced onions and a pinch of salt (add more olive oil if needed!). Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes or until they become translucent. Add in the garlic and the Italian seasoning and cook for 1 more minute.
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Add in chicken broth and then deglaze pan, making sure to scrape the bits of flavor from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
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Turn heat up to medium/high and let the broth come to a boil. Add in the potato gnocchi, stir gently and then reduce the heat to simmer.
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Let this cook for 4 minutes (I recommend setting a timer!)
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Add back in the chicken sausage. Next, add in the half and half and stir to combine. Lastly, add in the kale and stir to combine.
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Let soup simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until it begins to thicken. (Make sure soup isn't boiling! You don't want the dairy to curdle!)
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Once the soup has thickened, taste and adjust for seasoning. Add more salt or Italian seasoning if needed. Serve with red pepper flakes, crusty bread and fresh thyme for garnish. Enjoy!
Oh wow, Haylie! This soup is a big hug in a bowl! Wonderful flavors and so cozy!
Thank you so much, Kelly! Absolutely a hug in a bowl 🙂
This is absolutely delicious, easy to make , and doesn’t hardly mess up anything! You’ve made me the biggest fan of chicken sausage! Really loved it- thanks Haylie!!
Hey Alyssa! Yay! This makes me so happy 🙂 I’m so glad that you loved it!!