Golden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Oh the weather outside isn’t frightful, and snowless clouds aren’t delightful.  When the winter’s got you blue, eat some soup! Eat some soup!  Eat some soup!

This is officially the strangest Idaho winter I’ve ever been through.  Here it is, January 16th, and there is NO SNOW on the ground.  The kids in the neighborhood are running around in sweatshirts on their bikes and scooters.  Where are the mittens?  Where are the boots?  Where are the scarves and mugs of hot chocolate?  Winter, where are you??

Oh, THERE you are!  You’re coming later this week.  In the form of snow AND rain.  Nice of you to show up!  The golfers would like to ski now, please.  C’mon down!

In anticipation of the storms that are coming later on this week, I’ve made you some soup.  Not just any soup.  Soup with tender pillows of homemade gnocchi.  Gnocchi are surprisingly easy to make.  You’ll LOVE them in soups and pasta dishes.  I made a batch, used half in the soup and froze the rest for later.  See that?  Planning ahead.  One of those resolution thingys.  That resolution also includes filling the backup toilet paper rolls before the last roll runs out.  Important stuff, I know.

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• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tbsp canola oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
• 2 ribs celery, sliced thin
• 5 or 6 mushrooms, sliced thin
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup wondra flour
• 4 cups (1 quart) chicken stock
• 4 cups water
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 lb shredded cooked chicken
• 2 cups fresh chopped spinach
• 1/2 recipe gnocchi
• 1 cup half and half (I use fat-free)
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Make the gnocchi according to recipe.  Set aside on a sheet pan to cool.
2. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter and heat the oil over medium heat.  Add mushrooms, celery, and carrots.  Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.
3. Sprinkle Wondra flour over the vegetables and stir to coat.  Slowly stir in the chicken stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any cooked on bits.  Finish pouring in the chicken stock and water.  Add bouillon cubes.  Cook until bubbling and slighty thickened, another 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Stir in the chicken, gnocchi and spinach.  Heat until warm, about 5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the half and half.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve with fresh crusty bread!