CREAMY CHICKEN GNOCCHI SOUP {NEW AND IMPROVED}

Creamy Chicken Gnocchi Soup {New and Improved} image

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 13

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup diced carrots, about 3 medium carrots
1/2 cup diced onion, about 1 small onion
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (I use coarsely ground, use less for finely ground)
3 cloves garlic, finely minced, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups chicken broth (I use low-sodium)
3 cups milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
16-ounce package gnocchi (see note)
2 cups cooked, chopped chicken
2 cups coarsely chopped fresh spinach

Steps:

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat until rippling and hot. Add the carrots, onion, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper, and cook until the onions start to turn translucent, 3-4 minutes, stirring often.
Add the broth. Bring the soup to a simmer, and cook for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are soft (but not mushy).
Whisk or blend the milk and flour together until smooth. Add to the soup, and simmer over medium or medium-low heat until the soup is slightly thickened, 4-5 minutes (it will thicken more in the next step).
Add the gnocchi, and bring the soup to a simmer. Cook for 5-6 minutes until the gnocchi are tender and the soup has thickened a bit more.
Stir in the chicken and spinach and heat through, 4-5 minutes. Add additional salt and pepper, to taste, if needed.
Serve immediately or keep warm in a slow cooker to serve later. The soup will thicken more as it cools.