This Easy Sausage Gnocchi Soup uses your favorite protein, like ground beef or shredded chicken, and pairs it with rich spices, vegetables and comforting gnocchi. You will love how easy this soup comes together for your family! 

EASY SAUSAGE GNOCCHI SOUP

I love soup season and it is here. I don’t know about you but there is something so comforting about gnocchi.

Today’s Easy Sausage Gnocchi Soup is one of those cozy soup recipes that you make time and time again in the cold months and is a hearty soup.

I love using it in a one pot meal like this Browned Butter Gnocchi with Broccoli or as a pairing for tender short ribs like in this Slow Cooker Balsamic Short Ribs recipe.

Today’s Easy Gnocchi Soup is another way I like to incorporate gnocchi into busy weeknights. 

I used ground pork sausage in my version but you could use any ground meat, turkey or beef, or try shredded chicken.

This soup is very customizable to what vegetables and protein you have in your pantry, so get creative!

For me I love pillowy gnocchi and I feel it works so nicely in soups.

If you like gnocchi you have to try this Copycat Olive Garden Gnocchi Soup Recipe, One Pot French Onion Gnocchi and this Brown Butter Gnocchi.

Recipe Ingredients

• Potato Gnocchi: I used potato gnocchi in this soup but you could sub in semolina gnocchi or ricotta gnocchi if you want. I like to cook mine in a skillet before adding into the soup so they have a crispy edge and don’t get too soggy.
• Ground Sausage: the protein I used in this soup is sweet sausage but you can also use spicy sausage. If you don’t want to use sausage you can try ground meat or leave it out all together. I think ground turkey works nicely.
• Garlic: I am a fan of flavoring my soups with garlic for the extra flavor and the health benefits. If you don’t have fresh garlic but garlic powder instead.
• Vegetables: I added onion, carrots, celery and diced tomatoes to this soup. These all work great in this soup but there are other options you could use like green beans, mushrooms, zucchini or broccoli.
• Vegetable Broth: vegetable broth works great in this soup but you can also use chicken broth or chicken stock. Try making a homemade broth recipe if you want to control the ingredients.
• Spices: the spices in this soup are basil, oregano, thyme and red pepper flakes. Feel free to use dried or fresh depending on what you have on hand.
• Greens: fresh spinach is a great addition to this soup. You could also sub in swiss chard or kale.

How to Make This Sausage Gnocchi Soup Recipe

1. Cook the Gnocchi: 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 sauté it with olive oil for about 3-5 minutes. 

2. Cook the Sausage: Heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add ground sausage to the skillet and cook until browned, about 5 minutes, drain excess fat and set aside.

3. Add in the Vegetables: Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pot and stir in garlic, onion, carrots and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4minutes.

4. Add the Remaining Ingredients: 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 gentle boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 12-15 minutes. Add the fresh baby spinach and let wilt.

5. Serve with Crusty Bread: 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. Store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 

Tips for Making Gnocchi Soup

Crispy Gnocchi: I like to make my gnocchi separately from the soup. You can boil the gnocchi directly in the soup but I like when the gnocchi a crispy outer layer. If you prefer your gnocchi crispy too I suggest just adding it to the broth when you are ready to eat it.

I keep it separately when I store the leftovers too, and just add it when I am ready to reheat the soup. 

Slow Cooker Version: You can make this in the slow cooker. You will just need to cook the meat first if you are using a ground meat and then add everything in and cook it. I would suggest waiting to put the gnocchi in until the end of cooking like I mentioned above. 

Buying Gnocchi: You can buy gnocchi dried, frozen or fresh. I have also seen cauliflower gnocchi at Trader Joes if you want to try that option.  I prefer the fresh kind but any will work great! Just cook according to the package directions. 

How Can I Modify This Easy Italian Gnocchi Soup?

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. 

Broth: You can also use chicken stock, beef broth or chicken broth. If you want to make homemade broth try my recipe here. 

Wine: I like to add a splash of white wine sometimes for extra flavor. I would add that in with the broth. 

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: Beans are always a great addition to soup. 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. 

Creamy: If you want to make this a creamy soup add half and half or heavy cream to thicken it up. 

Meat: For this soup I added mild italian sausage. You can skip the meat all together or try ground turkey, beef, chicken sausage, spicy italian sausage or shredded chicken. 

Spices: Some other spices that would be nice in this soup are paprika, turmeric, italian seasoning or curry powder. 

What Should I Pair With This Soup?

Salad is always a great pairing for this dish. I love serving this Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts, this Spinach Salad with Bacon or this Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing. 

Vegetable side dishes are also a nice addition to a pasta meal. I especially love this Roasted Broccoli, Green Beans with Brown Butter and Toasted Almonds or this Sautéed Spinach. 

Homemade bread is always a nice addition. My favorites are this Best Sourdough Bread Recipe or this Homemade Wheat Bread. 

Other Soups You Might Like:

SPICY CHICKEN SOUP

CHICKEN LEMON ORZO SOUP

VEGETABLE SOUP WITH CABBAGE

WHITE BEAN SOUP

MOROCCAN RED LENTIL SOUP