Foodie Friday:Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Hey friends sorry I have been hiding out in the scrapbooking world! :) I told the other girls to just schedule my days and then I would do it, but when I have to self motivate, well you already see what happens with that. Yep my post ideas and pictures back up and I never post. 

Trinity posted this exact recipe back in Feb 2012 but she deleted her pictures so I am going to post it again with a few variations and options. 

oh ya the reason you are getting this post in the middle of the summer is because there were a few rainy days and this sounded SO AMAZING and I made it and now I am craving it again.

Chicken Gnocchi Soup

1 C chicken breast, cooked and chopped

4 Tbsp butter

4 Tbsp flour

1 quart half and half or instead use 2 C heavy whipping cream and 2 C milk

1 14 oz can of chicken broth

1/2 C celery, finely diced (Thrive Food has celery freeze dried incase you don't have fresh on hand)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 C carrots, finely shredded or chopped

1 C onion, finely diced

1 C fresh spinach, coarsely chopped (3/4 C-Thrive food freeze dried spinach that works amazing)

1 Tbsp extra virgin oil

1/2 tsp thyme

1/2 tsp parsley

1 lb potato gnocchi (find in the gourmet section of supermarkets, walmart has mini Gnocchi that rocks!!)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese-optional

Saute the onion, celery and garlic in the butter and olive oil. If you chopped the carrots saute them now if you shredded then you will add them later. Saute over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent then add the flour. Make the flour all pasted to the veggies and cook for another minute or two. Then add the 1 quart of half and half or cream/milk. Cook gnocchi in a separate pan as instructed on the package. Now into the cream base and veggies add the chicken, if you shredded carrots add them now. Let the mixture thicken and then add the chicken broth (I didn't use it all I kept my soup thick because that is how I like it). Now add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning, simmer until soup is heated through.