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This sausage gnocchi soup is the kind of comfort food you crave on a cold evening, cozy, hearty, and packed with flavor. Tender potato gnocchi, savory sausage, and vegetables simmer in a rich broth for a one-pot gnocchi soup that’s both satisfying and simple to make!
Why You’ll Love This Italian Sausage and Gnocchi Soup
When soup season rolls around, this soup always hits the spot. This sausage gnocchi recipe is ready in under 30 minutes, and is perfect for busy nights or relaxed weekend gatherings with family or friends. Inspired by rustic Italian soups like Zuppa Toscana, it combines Mediterranean pantry staples like olive oil, herbs, sausage, broth, vegetables, and tender greens into a hearty, satisfying meal that tastes like it simmered all afternoon.
Every bite brings the cozy balance of Italian herbs and soft, pillowy gnocchi that make it feel like home. If you’re like me and love cozy soups that use gnocchi, try my Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Copycat or One Pot French Onion Gnocchi next. Both are rich, comforting, and perfect for cozy nights in!
The potato gnocchi soup is wonderfully flexible: use ground pork, turkey, or shredded chicken; make it creamy with milk or cream, or keep it light with broth. After testing a few variations, I’ve found the key to perfect texture is adding the gnocchi just before serving so it stays soft and chewy, not mushy. Trust me, this one will quickly become part of your regular rotation.
Ingredients You’ll Need
These simple pantry staples are all you need. See the recipe card below for exact amounts and printable instructions.
- Potato Gnocchi: Soft and chewy, it soaks up flavor beautifully.
- Sausage: Italian sausage gives the soup depth and spice, but ground turkey, beef, or shredded chicken all work well.
- Vegetables: Onion, celery, carrot, and garlic create a savory base for the broth.
- Broth + Tomatoes: Vegetable or chicken broth mixed with diced tomatoes adds richness and acidity.
- Spinach or Kale: Stirred in at the end for color and nutrition.
- Herbs + Seasoning: Basil, oregano, thyme, and crushed red pepper bring Italian flavor to every bite.
- Olive Oil + Parmesan: For sautéing and topping, adding that signature Mediterranean touch.
This easy gnocchi soup brings comfort to your table in the best way. Serve it with crusty bread or a side salad for a complete, easy weeknight meal your whole family will enjoy.
Recipe Variations
- Vegetables: I used onion, garlic, celery and carrots in this soup. You can use any vegetable you have that you think would pair nicely. I like green beans, red bell pepper, broccoli and peas also.
- Cheese: Cheese is a nice addition to the soup. I like shredded Parmesan cheese or mozzarella cheese. Another way to make this soup extra rich is to add a parmesan rind while simmering the soup.
- Beans: For this soup I would add chickpeas or white beans.
- Greens: I added spinach to this soup but you could also use kale, swiss chard or your favorite greens you have on hand.
How to Make Sausage Gnocchi Soup
Step 1: Cook the gnocchi according to the package. For a crispy twist, sauté it in olive oil for 3-5 minutes until lightly golden. Set aside.
Step 2: In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Drain any excess fat and set aside.
Step 3: Add more olive oil if needed, then stir in garlic, onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until softened, about 4 minutes.
Step 4: Pour in broth, water, and diced tomatoes. Stir in basil, oregano, thyme, and crushed red pepper. Add the cooked sausage back to the pot.
Step 5: Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Step 6: Stir in the spinach or kale and let it wilt in the hot broth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 7: When ready to serve, spoon gnocchi into bowls and ladle the soup on top. Finish with grated Parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.
This method keeps the gnocchi firm and flavorful, making it one of the best hearty Italian soup recipes for fall and winter.
Recipe Tip: To make ahead of time just make sure to store the soup and gnocchi separately and combine when reheating for a perfect comfort food dinner.
Tips for Success and Storage
- Crispy Gnocchi: For the best texture, pan-fry your gnocchi in olive oil before adding it to the bowl. It gives every bite a delicate crisp edge and keeps leftovers from turning mushy.
- Crockpot Version: Cook sausage first, then combine everything except gnocchi. Add gnocchi during the last 15 minutes.
- Storage: Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat gently with a splash of broth.
- Freezing: Freeze broth and vegetables only; add freshly cooked gnocchi later.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! To make this a vegetarian gnocchi soup, simply skip the sausage and use vegetable broth as your base. You can add heartier vegetables like mushrooms, zucchini, or white beans for extra texture and protein. The Italian herbs and creamy broth still give it that same cozy, comforting flavor without any meat.
You can! To make this recipe vegan, use olive oil instead of butter, skip the Parmesan, and choose a plant-based protein like lentils, white beans, or vegan sausage. Many store-bought gnocchi varieties are already vegan, just check the label before cooking.
Fresh gnocchi cooks quickly and holds up well; frozen works too, just adjust the cook time.
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Easy Sausage Gnocchi Soup
Video
Ingredients
- 16 ounces potato gnocchi
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1 pound ground sausage or beef {or protein of your choice}
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup onion, diced
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 cups vegetable broth {you can also use beef, or chicken broth}
- 1 cup water
- 1-15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper {optional}
- 1 to 2 cups of spinach {or greens of your choice}
Instructions
- Depending on if your gnocchi is fresh, frozen or dried cook the gnocchi according to the package. If you want crispy gnocchi use a skillet and saute it with olive oil for about 3-5 minues. If you don't need it crispy you can boil the gnocchi directly in the soup for the time indicated on the bag. Set aside.
- Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add ground sausage or beef to the skillet and cook until browned, about 5 minutes, drain excess fat and set aside.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pot and stir in garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4minutes.
- Stir in vegetable broth, water diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper, ground beef and and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 12-15 minutes. Add the spinach and let wilt.
- In soup bowls add the crispy gnocchi. Ladle the soup into the bowls and top with Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs like parsley and basil.
- Serve immediately with crusty bread.
Notes
- I try to keep the gnocchi separate and just add it to the each bowl when I serve the soup especially if you think you will have leftovers. It helps the gnocchi from becoming really soft and mushy.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
hello I’m making this right now. after u chopped the carrots I read comments and you stated carrots were shredded? your recipie calls for chopped. please clarify
sorry I did chopped but honestly either will work!
I made your soup for dinner tonight. WOW!! was it ever good. I Butter fried the gnocchi like you suggested and it was perfect. My 2 sons at the entire pot with a crusty loaf of Italian Bread. It had so much flavor and was made quickly. This will be a new one of my go to recipes. Thank you. This is a very delicious soup. I love the fried gnocchi, it made all the difference in the world to me…
I am so glad that you all enjoyed it! I am glad you did the butter fried gnocchi. I feel like it makes all the difference!
We loved this recipe! The only issue I had was the carrots. I sliced them pretty thin, but they still didn’t cook at the same time as the other vegetables. I wish I had cooked them first. But delicious anyway…thanks for sharing 🙂
Glad you liked it! The recipe calls for shredded carrots- did you use those? I think it is fine to use diced or thinly sliced but they aren’t going to cook as fast so you have to simmer a little longer. You also could use matchstick carrots which cook quickly.
Made this soup tonight and included some small broccoli florets, kept the gnocchi crisp and added at the end. I also included fresh basil and parsley at the end! So tasty and will add it into our winter soup rotation! Probably to serve to guests as well with crusty bread.
Love the additions! Thanks for sharing and so glad you liked it.