Sausage Gnocchi Soup is packed with flavor, creamy and hearty—perfect for warming the soul during soup season. It comes together in one pot and makes an easy, comforting weeknight dinner.
Sausage Gnocchi Soup
If you love Italian sausage, this recipe is for you. It’s a delicious variation on a classic gnocchi soup, made in one pot with minimal effort. Simple, homey ingredients create a warm, family-friendly meal. The recipe is flexible—swap or omit vegetables as needed, and keep pantry staples like shelf-stable gnocchi on hand for quick dinners.
Key ingredients
- Gnocchi: Shelf-stable gnocchi is convenient and widely available in grocery stores. It stores well, so it’s handy to keep a package or two in the pantry.
- Italian sausage: Mild, sweet, or hot Italian sausage all work. Use ground Italian sausage or remove casings from links to crumble and brown.
- Vegetables: Onion, carrots and celery bring depth of flavor. Slice the carrots and celery thicker if you want pieces easy to avoid for picky eaters. These can be omitted if you prefer.
- Seasonings: Garlic, dried thyme, dried basil, salt and pepper keep the flavor straightforward and let the broth shine. You can add oregano, red pepper flakes or Cajun seasoning for a different twist.
- Broth: Chicken broth is preferred, but vegetable broth works well too.
- Canned diced tomatoes: If you don’t like tomato chunks, use tomato sauce instead.
- Greens: Fresh baby spinach is ideal; frozen spinach or kale can be substituted (thaw frozen spinach first).
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream gives richness, but half-and-half or milk can be used for a lighter soup.
Notes on storage and substitutions
- This soup does not freeze well. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Gnocchi will soften when reheated.
- If you prefer, substitute Italian sausage with ground pork or ground beef. For a vegetarian version, omit the meat and use vegetable broth.
- If you don’t like celery or carrots, leave them out—but keep the onion and garlic for base flavor. Finely diced onion will blend into the soup if you want a smoother texture.
- If using frozen spinach, thaw it to room temperature and separate the leaves so it incorporates evenly when added to the hot soup.
- This soup is a full meal on its own thanks to the gnocchi, meat and vegetables. It pairs nicely with toasted or garlic bread for soaking up the broth.
Ingredients (serves 6)
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage (mild, sweet, or hot)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 white onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
- 2 stalks celery, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1 (15-oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (17.6-oz) package gnocchi
- 2 cups baby spinach, washed and dried (or use kale)
- 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half/milk)
Instructions
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, crumble and brown the Italian sausage until fully cooked. Drain excess fat, set the sausage aside, and wipe out the pan.
- Add the olive oil to the pot and cook the diced onion until translucent.
- Add the carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, basil, salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Stir in the gnocchi and spinach and cook for 2 minutes. Return the cooked sausage to the pot, pour in the heavy cream, and simmer for another 5 minutes to meld flavors and thicken slightly.
- Serve hot, garnished with freshly minced parsley if desired, and offer toasted bread on the side for dipping.
Additional notes
You can swap the Italian sausage for pork or ground beef, or omit meat for a meatless soup. Broth can be chicken, vegetable or beef, and the cream can be replaced with half-and-half or milk for a lighter result.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
