Don’t let the lengthy ingredient list scare you; once you’ve gathered everything together this hearty and satisfying soup comes together easily! With a lightly herbed broth, savory bacon, and tender gnocchi this dish is sure to be a dinnertime hit.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup chopped onion (½ onion)
- 1/3 cup chopped celery (1 rib)
- 1 cup chopped carrots (2 carrots)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tb butter
- 2 Tb flour
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 sage leaves, whole
- Pinch red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
- 4 c. low-sodium chicken broth
- 6 strips Fletcher’s bacon, cooked & crumbled, with 1 Tb. bacon grease reserved
- 2 cups kale, chopped (2 leaves, ribs removed)
- 1 lb. gnocchi
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese + more for serving/garnish
- 2 c. milk
- 1 chicken bouillon cube or equivalent substitute (optional)
Instructions:
- In a soup pot, heat reserved bacon grease and butter over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes.
- Add the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, rosemary, thyme, and red pepper flakes to the pot. Stir to coat the vegetables in the butter/flour mixture. Cook for five minutes, stirring regularly to prevent burning.
- Slowly whisk in 2 cups of chicken broth. Whisk continually to prevent the flour from clumping. When the broth in the pot is smooth, add the remaining 2 cups of broth and 2 sage leaves. Bring the soup to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the gnocchi and kale and cook until gnocchi is slightly undercooked (about 5-10 minutes, depending on your brand of gnocchi).
- Stir in the milk, parmesan, and the equivalent of 4 strips of bacon (reserving some for serving/garnish). Heat through.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired. If your broth tastes weak, add a bouillon cube.
- Remove the sage leaves before serving. Or, if you can’t find them, give a prize to whoever finds one in their soup! Serve topped with bacon & parmesan.
