Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup
Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup is an easy and comforting soup recipe that has Italian sausage, Italian diced tomatoes, onion, red bell pepper, spinach, broth, Italian seasonings, and gnocchi! It is ready in 30 minutes and is a soup the entire family will devour.
Craving something comforting and warm, yet still a little healthy? This Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup is the perfect combination of those things and is super easy to whip up.
Even though it took a little convincing for our boys to try the soup (they're in a bit of a defiant stage at the dinner table), they both loved it once they tried it. Soren insisted he didn't like gnocchi and, lo and behold, once he tried it he was a fan. In fact, he picked out the gnocchi in my bowl, too. (He also loved the gnocchi in my Creamy Turkey Gnocchi Soup!)
With how much everyone loved this cozy soup and how fast and easy it is to make, I would say this is a perfect weeknight meal during soup season!
Craving a creamy soup instead? Try my Creamy Chicken Potato Soup! Or check out my Sausage Lentil Soup for another soup with Italian sausage.
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Ingredients
Mild Italian Sausage - you can use hot spicy Italian sausage if you like things on the spicier side. Like chicken sausage? Check out my Italian Chicken Sausage Quinoa Skillet!
Onion, Red Bell Pepper, Italian Diced Tomatoes, and Spinach - this soup is not lacking vegetables! The onion and bell pepper add flavor and color. I have used both fresh and frozen spinach, with great results.
Dried Italian Seasoning and Garlic - for a boost of flavor.
Chicken Broth - chicken stock, low sodium broth, or vegetable broth would also work.
Potato Gnocchi - I use shelf-stable gnocchi which is easy to find in the pasta section of the grocery store. Gnocchi is also featured in my Creamy Mushroom Gnocchi.
Half and Half or Heavy Cream - I've used both in this recipe and they both work well!
Parmesan Cheese - a sprinkle on top adds delicious flavor and creaminess.
Variations
You can play around with the recipe to use pantry staples that you have on hand or to adapt it to your preferences.
- Use chopped fresh kale instead of fresh baby spinach.
- Use whatever ground sausage you prefer: chicken sausage, Italian pork sausage, turkey sausage, soy chorizo, whatever floats your boat. Ground beef or ground turkey would also work in a pinch, but you won't get the extra flavor from the sausage.
- Add extra veggies. If you want to boost the nutrients in this soup, you could add chopped bell pepper, diced mushrooms, or chopped zucchini.
- Play around with the spices and herbs - use fresh herbs like rosemary, basil, parsley, thyme, or oregano if you have it!
- Vegetable or beef broth instead of chicken. If that's what you have in your pantry, use it!
- Add some red pepper flakes to give the soup a bit of spice.
- Use a different pasta instead of gnocchi. I absolutely love the gnocchi in this soup but if you can't find it at the grocery store or don't prefer it, a small pasta such as ditalini or orzo would work well. A similar soup is my Slow Cooker Meatball Tortellini Soup.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Photo 1. Start by cooking the Italian sausage until browned, breaking it into smaller pieces as it cooks. I like to make this soup in a large dutch oven but any large pot will work.
Photo 2. Add a little olive oil, along with the onion and red bell pepper over medium-high heat, to cook along with the sausage until they are softened. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
Photo 3. After the veggies are softened, add the garlic and Italian seasoning, and cook another minute.
Photo 4. Add the broth and diced tomatoes.
Photo 5. Once the broth comes to a gentle boil, reduce to medium heat and add the gnocchi and simmer, cooking according to package directions.
Photo 6. Typically, you should cook gnocchi until the gnocchi floats, about 4-5 minutes. Be careful not to overcook. You want them to have the perfect pillowy texture that gnocchi is known for.
Photo 7. Finally, add the spinach and cream
Photo 8. Cook until the spinach is wilted. This doesn't take long as spinach will wilt in 1-2 minutes. If you do add kale, as suggested below, it will take a few extra minutes since kale is a bit tougher.
If you love slow cooker recipes, check out my Slow Cooker Beef Stew and Slow Cooker Chicken Tortilla Soup!
Serving Suggestions
Serve this hearty gnocchi soup topped with Parmesan cheese and ENJOY! We love having this soup with a side of fresh warm Italian bread, which is delicious to sop up the extra liquid with. Serve it with a side salad too, if you'd like! If you're looking for an Instant Pot gnocchi soup, check out my Instant Pot Sausage Gnocchi Soup or Instant Pot Lasagna Soup.
There are so many great things going on in this soup, from the fluffy gnocchi to the spicy sausage and basil flavored cream broth which has amazing flavor. Be sure to store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge! Our whole family really enjoyed this soup and I know yours will, too.
Recipe FAQs
I don't recommend freezing this soup, as the gnocchi won't have the same texture after being frozen. You could freeze the base of the soup and add the gnocchi when reheating.
Definitely, it just won't be as creamy. It will still be delicious!
You could certainly make this vegetarian with a plant based sausage.
Other Cozy Recipes to Consider
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, or take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #greensnchocolate.
Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 14 ounce can Italian diced tomatoes *sometimes it says tomatoes with garlic and basil
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 16 ounces potato gnocchi
- 3 cups raw spinach roughly chopped
- ¾ cup half and half or heavy whipping cream
- Parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
- In a large soup pot over medium-high heat, cook the Italian sausage until browned, breaking it into pieces as it cooks.
- Add the olive oil, onion, and red bell pepper, and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and Italian seasoning, and cook another minute.
- Add the diced tomatoes and chicken broth, and stir to combine.
- Bring the soup to a simmer.
- Add the gnocchi and cook according to the package directions. Usually gnocchi only takes 3-5 minutes to cook, and you can tell they are done when they start floating to the top.
- Add the cream and chopped spinach, and cook another minute or two, until the spinach is wilted.
- Serve soup topped with Parmesan cheese.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Use mild or hot Italian sausage depending on your preference.
- Shelf stable gnocchi can usually be found by the boxed pastas. There is also frozen gnocchi that will also work.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Half and half or heavy cream both work well in this recipe.
This soup + a loaf of crusty bread = perfect comfort food! Wonderful flavor combination - great for the winter weather we're having right now!
I started this recipe just to use up a few things that needed to get used up. Now it’s going into my favorites! Hit the spot on this frigid day! Thank you😊
So happy to hear this! We actually made it tonight too 🙂
Wondering if the skillet gnocchi in the fresh pasta section would work for this ?
Yes, I think that would work!
Absolutely delicious, easy to make!
We had a great loaf of bread with it to use with the leftover broth. Daughter and son inlaw made this. Huge hit and now my favorite!! Favors were so yummy too!
Love this! Thanks so much for your comment and review!
Great comfort food soup! Loaded with flavor! Definitely going on repeat at our house
This soup is outstanding AND easy to make! My “gnocchi” turned out to be a package of mushroom tortellini and I added some chopped carrots with the onion. Next time, which may be very soon, I will make sure to have gnocchi, but I will probably still add the carrots. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
So delicious and easy to make!