Creamy Sausage, Gnocchi and Spinach Soup

Ingredients

• Soup base

  10 g olive oil

• 350 g uncooked mild Italian pork sausage

  loose sausage meat, or links with casings removed

• 120 g yellow onion

  peeled weight, cut into 5 mm dice

• 120 g carrot

  peeled weight, cut into 5 mm dice

• 80 g celery

  trimmed weight, cut into 5 mm dice

• 12 g garlic

  peeled weight, minced

• 1 g dried thyme

• 900 ml unsalted chicken broth

• 400 g ready-made potato gnocchi

  uncooked; choose a shelf-stable type with a 3–4 minute cooking time

• 150 g heavy cream

  approximately 35–36% fat

• 100 g baby spinach

  washed and drained

• 1 g fine salt

• ½ g ground black pepper

• To finish

  20 g Parmesan cheese

  finely grated from a block

• 5 g flat-leaf parsley

  finely chopped

Directions

1. Brown the sausage

   Heat the oil in a wide heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and break it into small crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through; pork sausage should reach 71°C / 160°F. Leave the sausage and rendered fat in the pot.

2. Soften the vegetables

   Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook for 7–8 minutes, stirring, until the onion is translucent and the carrot is beginning to soften. Stir in the garlic, thyme and black pepper for 30 seconds. If the pot begins to catch, loosen it with a small splash taken from the measured broth.

3. Simmer the broth and gnocchi

   Pour in the remaining measured broth and scrape the browned bits from the bottom. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, until the carrot is tender. Add the uncooked gnocchi and simmer for 3–4 minutes, or for the time stated on their packet, stirring gently. Cut one open to check that the center is tender; floating alone is not the only doneness cue.

4. Finish with cream and greens

   Lower the heat and stir in the cream and spinach. Warm gently for 1–2 minutes, until the spinach wilts and the soup is hot; avoid a rolling boil. Remove from the heat. Stir in the measured salt, then taste before adding any extra because sausage, broth and gnocchi brands vary in saltiness. Divide evenly among four bowls and finish each with one-quarter of the Parmesan and parsley. Serve immediately.