Italian Sausage and Gnocchi Soup

Italian Sausage and Gnocchi Soup is filled will pillowy soft gnocchi, mini sausage meatballs, and hearty kale.  It is rich in flavor, light in texture, and comes together in just 30 minutes!

Top view of Italian sausage and gnocchi soup in a white bowl with a spoon, a pieces of Italian bread, and a tan napkin next to it.

For the first time in my life, I belong to a CSA.  CSA stands for community supported agriculture and connects consumers with local produce and other goods.  

I love buying local and it feels great to get my farm bag delivered right to my doorstep knowing that I am supporting local farmers.

Top view of Italian sausage and gnocchi soup in a teal Staub cocotte.

The great thing about my farm bag is that I can customize it and substitute items that I don't want.  I usually swap out one or two things in each bag.

There's a window of time when you can make adjustments to your bag and, somehow, this week I missed my window.

That means I had some produce coming that I normally would have switched out.

Top view of a ladle full of Italian sausage and gnocchi soup over a teal Staub cocotte of soup.

I had planned to swap the kale I used in this recipe for extra strawberries, but here I was with red Russian kale to use up instead.

The kale is actually what brought me to the idea of this soup, so it turns out my missed deadline was a happy accident!  I had some sausage and gnocchi in the freezer, so a soup seemed like a great way to use it up and it SO was.

The whole family loved this delicious soup, even the kids!  I hope you love it as much as we did! Try it with some Rosemary Foccacia Bread on the side. Yum!

Top view of Italian sausage and gnocchi soup ingredients arranged on a wood cutting board.

HOW TO MAKE SAUSAGE AND GNOCCHI SOUP

Italian Sausage and Gnocchi Soup is easy to make in just 30 minutes! First, Italian sausage is rolled into mini meatballs and browned in olive oil. Onions, kale, and garlic are then sauteed in the meatball drippings. Chicken broth, salt, pepper, canned diced tomatoes, and bay leaves are added to the pot. The soup is brought to a boil and the gnocchi is added. The soup simmers until the gnocchi is pillowy soft. See below for detailed recipe instructions.

WHAT IS GNOCCHI?

Contrary to what you may believe, gnocchi isn't pasta, but rather potato dumplings with Italian roots. Gnocchi has a light, soft, pillowy texture and is delicious in soups or topped with sauces.

A collage of step by step images of the soup being made.

WHAT IS BULK SAUSAGE?

Bulk sausage is sausage that is not in a casing. If you can't find bulk sausage in your grocery store's meat department, you can buy sausage links and remove the sausage from the casings to make the meatballs.

DO I HAVE TO USE KALE?

You don't have to use kale, but I think you should! The flavor and the texture of the kale is absolutely delicious in this soup. If you don't have kale or if you just don't like it, you can substitute spinach for the kale.

Top view closeup of Italian sausage and gnocchi soup in a teal Staub cocotte.

HOW TO REHEAT SAUSAGE AND GNOCCHI SOUP

Reheat sausage and gnocchi soup in the microwave or in a pot on the stove. The broth of the leftovers will be more starchy than when first cooked.

HOW LONG DOES SAUSAGE AND GNOCCHI SOUP LAST IN THE FRIDGE?

Leftovers of sausage and gnocchi soup can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Side view of Italian sausage and gnocchi soup in a teal Staub cocotte.

MORE SIMPLE SOUP RECIPES

Check out even more popular soup recipes from the archives:


Top view of Italian sausage and gnocchi soup in a white bowl with a tan napkin next to it.


If you try this recipe, I'd love to know what you think in the comments below. Enjoy!

6-8 servings

Italian Sausage and Gnocchi Soup


Italian Sausage and Gnocchi Soup is filled will pillowy soft gnocchi, mini sausage meatballs, and hearty kale.  It is rich in flavor, light in texture, and comes together in just 30 minutes!

  prep time: cook time: total time: 30 MIN 

INGREDIENTS


1 lb bulk Italian sausage
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chopped kale, packed
3 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained*
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 bay leaves
1 (20 ounce) bag frozen gnocchi
grated parmesan cheese, optional


INSTRUCTIONS


1. Roll the Italian sausage into small meatballs.**

2. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs in the olive oil for 2 minutes, flip, and continue frying for another 2 minutes. Remove the meatballs from the pot and set them aside. (The meatballs will still not be cooked all the way through.)

3. Add the onions to the pot and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic to the pot and cook for 1 additional minute. Add the chopped kale to the pot and continue cooking for 2 more minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Add the chicken broth, diced tomatoes and their juice, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and meatballs to the pot. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil.

5. Add the gnocchi to the pot and return to a simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the gnocchi is cooked through.

6. Garnish with parmesan cheese, if desired.


NOTES


*For a soup with a spicy kick, use diced tomatoes with green chilies. For a soup that is not spicy, use plain diced tomatoes.

**The meatballs should be very small, about 1-inch in diameter. You should end up with 26-28 meatballs.

Author: Becky


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