Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Yield: 8 servings.

1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced (you can use a

rotisserie chicken)

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

1 quart

half and half

1 14 ounce can chicken broth

1/2 cup celery, finely

diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup carrots, finely shredded

1 cup

onion, finely diced

1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon

extra virgin oil

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/2 teaspoon parsley

Freshly grated parmesan cheese –

optional

1 pound potato gnocchi – can buy this in the gourmet section of many

supermarkets

Sauté the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil,

over medium heat when the onion becomes translucent, add the flour, and make a

roux, let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1

quart of half and half.


Cook gnocchi according to package directions.


Into the roux add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick

add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi,

spinach, and seasonings, simmer until soup is heated through.


Comments about this recipe:  You can add more chicken if you like.  While you

could use left over cooked chicken breasts, I really think using the rotisserie

chicken that are found in many grocery stores is the best way to get the optimal

flavor of this soup.  If you want to make the soup lower calorie you can use

milk instead of half and half.  Half and Half, does taste better, and it also

reheats better than milk does.