Olive Garden's Chicken Gnocchi Soup

I got a great base recipe from a friend of mine, and I tweaked it to be a bit healthier (although nothing I can do about the butter, sorry). My husband says it's better than Olive Garden's, so I must have done something right. And this one should not cause an instant heart attack!

Chicken Gnocchi Soup:

Ingredients:
1/3 cup butter
2 cloves of minced garlic
1 lb. chicken cubed or large chunks
1/3 cup flour
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup onion shredded
1 cup fresh spinach, torn in pieces
2 cups skim milk (you can use whole for a richer flavor, or nonfat evaporated milk)
2 cups non fat half & half
3 chicken bullion cubes
24 oz Chicken Broth
Cracked pepper to taste
17.6 oz. of Gnocchi

***to cook chicken, either boil or roast.

To boil chicken: season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place in pot, cover with water. Bring to boil, and boil for 6-8 mins. Cover pot, remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes. This should make for tender and delicious chicken. You can now cube or shred it.

To roast chicken: preheat oven to 350. Brush with EVOO, season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place in over for 40 mins. Cube or shred.***

Over medium heat, melt butter in a soup pot, add in the garlic and sautee.
Add flour and stir in flour and mix well until it makes a roux (thick paste)
Next add your milk and half & half.
Then add the veggies(Carrots, Onion, Spinach).
Add three bullion cubes.
Add your Gnocchi last, it only takes 3-4 min. to cook.
Add in your chicken.
Mix ingredients well until soup thickens and stirring occasionally. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. At this point, it will be very thick. Add in 12 oz of Chicken Broth. Stir, and simmer a bit longer. It should be like a thick liquid, but not a dense one. Add more broth if it is still too thick. I reserve the rest of my broth, and when I reheat my soup I add in a little to each bowl.

This soup is a great make ahead meal. I like to make it the night before, put it in the fridge, and then reheat the next day. It seems to have a richer flavor that way!


****TIMESAVER TIP: if you don't have time to cook chicken, pick up a whole roasted chicken in the store. They are about $5, and all you have to do is cut the chicken off and put in the soup!****