Chicken and Gnocchi Soup

Gnocchi: delicious little dumplins typically made from potato (although they don't takes like potato)

I didn't take a picture this time...this is one I found that looks alot like my soup.

Chicken and Gnocchi Soup
1 to 1 1/2 C of cooked, diced chicken breasts (NOTE: I used actual chicken breasts - boiled them and then sauteed them with McCormick's Rotisserie Chicken seasoning. You could use Tyson's Diced Chicken Breasts from the frozen food section - that would make it super easy, but I would suggest boiling it to unfreeze it before you add it to the soup.

Base:
4 TBS (1/2 stick) butter
1 tsp EVOO
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves of garlic
4 TBS flour
1 quart half and half (or if you forgot to look at the recipe before you went shopping you can use a pint of half and half and a pint of buttermilk - super healthy!)

Put EVOO and butter in pan - melt. Add garlic, celery and onions. Saute until onions are translucent. Add flour. Stir for a minute or so. Add half and half (or whatever you decide to use).

Gnocchi:
There are 2 types. I used the one found in the pasta aisle. There is also a frozen kind, but I was told this was better. Just cook it according to package directions. It took 4-5 minutes. You basically cook it until it floats.

Soup:
28 oz - chicken broth
1 cup shredded carrots (I used matchstick carrots from the store because I HATE shredding carrots)
1 cup fresh spinach, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp parsley

Add carrots and chicken to the base you created. After it thickens, add chicken broth. Wait for it to thicken again, then add spices, spinach and gnocchi.

Let it simmer until spinach it wilted and thoroughly mixed in soup.

Serve with parmesan cheese. YUM!