Bridget's Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

    As a former Olive Garden employee, I have definitely eaten my fair share of chicken and gnocchi soup! This recipe is superb and is probably the closest that I have come to the original OG version. Trust me, I've been trying for years! While it may not be the most healthy choice of soup, it is worth the extra calories for sure. The key is to make sure to cook the roux before you whisk in your liquids, that's what makes the soup so nice and thick.

Bridget's Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Ingredients:

- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of salted butter

- 1/2 cup of chopped onion

- 2 teaspoons of minced garlic

- 1/4 cup of flour

- 2 cups of half and half

- 2 cups of chicken broth

- 1 cup of milk

- 2 large bay leaves

- salt and black pepper to taste

- 1 cup of diced cooked chicken breast

- 1 cup (2 large carrots) of shredded and chopped carrot

- 1 pound of potato gnocchi

- 1 and 1/2 cup of chopped fresh spinach

    In a large soup pot, heat the butter over medium high heat until it starts to bubble. Sweat the onion for a minute or two and then add the garlic and let it cook for another minute. Next, whisk in the flour. It will resemble dough, keep whisking it around and let it cook for a minute. Be careful to constantly whisk, do not leave this alone, it will burn. Once the bottom of the pot starts to brown, start to gently add the chicken broth, half&half, and milk. Whisk until the liquid starts to thicken and there are no lumps. Then, add the bay leaves and a liberal amount of salt and pepper. Also, throw in the chicken and carrot. Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally, I used a spatula to stir and made sure to scrape the bottom so it doesn't burn. Keep this up for about 15 minutes. Once the carrots are softened a little, add the gnocchi and let them cook for about 5 minutes until soft. Lastly, mix in the chopped spinach and let it wilt slightly before serving. If at any point your soup looks to thick, you can add more chicken broth to thin it out. Top with grated parmesan and enjoy!