Soup de jour

Cook's notes: While you can never have too many cookie recipes the same could also be said of soup. It's the perfect course for any meal. We all have our favorites and one of mine is Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi Soup with Spinach.

It's packed with flavor and a creamy goodness with every spoonful. Advance prep is a must for this recipe. Use a rotisserie chicken for a time saver. In fact, the veggies and chicken can all be diced, bagged and refrigerated a day ahead. Pair the soup with a slice of cornbread, your favorite sandwich or crusty artisan bread. Recipe serves 4-6 depending on the size of the bowl. To reheat the next day add more broth. 

Gnocchi are a variety of pasta consisting of various thick, small, and soft dough dumplings that may be made from semolina, ordinary wheat flour, egg, cheese, potato, breadcrumbs, cornmeal or similar ingredients, and possibly including flavorings of herbs, vegetables, cocoa or prunes.
Sidenote Alert: I was unable (trips to two up north grocery stores) to find gnocchi, mini potato  dumplings, so I had to substitute frozen mini cheese ravioli this go around for the soup. I was surprised it ended up being such a tasty substitute. 

Ingredients:

• 1 TB. olive oil
• 1 cup each diced onions, carrots and celery
• 1/2 cup diced red peppers
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp. each dried rosemary, thyme and parsley flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 48 oz. chicken broth, low sodium
• 2-3 cups cooked chicken, diced
• 3/4 lb. mini potato gnocchi (freezer section) 
• 2-3 handfuls of torn spinach leaves, stems removed 
• 2-1/2 TB. butter
• 3 TB. flour
• 1/3 cup cream
• 2 TB. dry white wine

Directions:

• In a soup pot heat oil. Add in onions, carrots, celery, peppers and garlic. Sprinkle spices over the veggie mixture. Saute 2 minutes. Sweat veggies by covering and simmering on low for 10 minutes.
• Remove cover, add broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add in gnocchi and chicken, simmer 5 minutes more.
• While broth is simmering melt butter in a small fry pan on a medium heat. Add in flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in cream and wine, cook until thickened. Add to chicken broth, the cream mixture with torn spinach leaves. Cook 5 minutes longer or until spinach is wilted. Remove bay leaves before serving.