Ironically, when i was chopping the vegetables and stirring the soup I was thinking, "This would be a really good soup to have on hand if you were sick." Little did I know that not even two days later I'd get diagnosed with Flu A, followed by pneumonia.
I suppose I timed the making of this soup just right because it was a really good soup to have on hand now that I was sick as a dog.
Full of chopped veggies: onions; kale, carrots, celery, and garlic and swimming in a creamy broth with soft pillowy gnocchi it was healing and comforting and just what the doctor ordered. I loved the crunch of the rosemary bacon on top and I even added in some leftover rotissierre chicken to make it more substantial.
I would definitely make this again, but I would use chicken broth in lieu of vegetable broth only because I prefer it. But, that is the beauty of cooking. You make it your own.
Stay healthy and wash your hands! Apparently flu season has come early!
Creamy Gnocchi Soup with Rosemary Bacon
Adapted from Half Baked Harvest
by Tieghan Gerard
Serves 6-8
4 slices thick but bacon, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
6 carrots, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
1 tablespoon dried basil
1-2 teaspoons fennel seeds, to your taste
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
salt and balck pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4-6 cups vegetable broth
4-6 cups roughly chopped kale
1-1/2 cups canned coconut milk, heavy cream, or whole milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese, plus more for serving
Cook the bacon in a large dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. During the last minute of cooking, add the rosemary. Remove the bacon. If there's excess bacon grease, drain off all but 1 tablespoon. Add the olive oil and onion and cook 5 minutes, until golden. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, basil, fennel, crushed red pepper, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook another 5 minutes, until very fragrant.
Stir in the butter and flour, cook 1 minute. Add 4 cups of broth. Simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes, until the carrots are tender. About 10 minutes before serving, stir in the kale, cream/milk, Parmesan, and gnocchi. If the soup is too thick, add additional broth.
Serve the soup topped with the rosemary bacon and Parmesan. Enjoy warm, preferably with a crusty piece of bread.
