Spinach and Artichoke Gnocchi Soup with Crispy Prosciutto

This Spinach and Artichoke Gnocchi Soup is, I believe, my third gnocchi recipe here on the site. I find that I forget about gnocchi sometimes, until I’ll see it somewhere – on a menu, on social media, in a magazine – and then I have this big moment of oh yeahhhh! I need to be making more things with gnocchi because it’s so completely wonderful …

I don’t care much for making homemade gnocchi, as I find it’s rather difficult to actually produce something that’s really great. Homemade gnocchi, bless its heart, tends to be messy, time-consuming, tedious, and gluey when all is said and done.

So, this recipe today uses not one, not two, but THREE of my favorite store-bought products that I find to be absolutely soup-erior to their homemade or freshly picked brethren. Read along for a few deets, or jump right ahead to the recipe.

Be sure to follow along over on Instagram so you don’t miss a recipe!

Not that homemade gnocchi is always inferior, of course that’s not true, but it does always take a lot longer, and there’s something to be said for convenience. It is Monday, after all. Do read on and I’ll wax poetic (or not) a little about the aforementioned items …

For this Gnocchi Soup, we’ll lean on a few fantastic pantry and freezer items

1. Store-bought gnocchi :: I really covered my feelings about this product above. So, no need to drone on and on about it. I just think there are some pretty good brands out there now, and for a basic, classic potato gnocchi – they’re as good as I need them to be. I feel no need to make it myself. I use Rana brand whenever they’ve got a product available or applicable to my cooking – their stuff is the best. They make the only store-bought pesto I’ve ever tried that I doesn’t reek of acidic preservatives. This also isn’t sponsored, I’m just a fan.
2. Frozen spinach :: I mean, you can cook down bags and bags of fresh spinach, sure, but the amount you’d have to buy and then wash and cook down just to equal what you can get in a frozen box of the stuff is just … a lot. Frozen spinach is a great deal and I strongly recommend using it when/where appropriate.
3. Garlic and Herb cheese spread :: This is a pretty common hack here on My Kitchen Little. I sneak this stuff into all sorts of things to quickly and effectively add flavor and creaminess. It works great and saves a lot of time.

What you’ll need to make this Spinach and Artichoke Soup with Gnocchi

2 tsp olive oil

2 shallots, diced (or about 1 cup onion, diced)

2 large carrots, thinly sliced

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Two, 12 to 16-oz. packages gnocchi

10-oz box/bag frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed (you want to get the water out)

14.5 oz. can artichokes hearts, drained and roughly chopped

2.5 oz. garlic and herb cheese spread (such as Alouette or Boursin, about half the package)

¾ cup dry white wine (optional, can sub stock)

3 cups chicken or vegetable stock (plus more as needed)

1 cup half and half

6 slices prosciutto

How to make this Spinach and Artichoke Gnocchi Soup with Crispy Prosciutto

Add the oil to a large pot over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the shallots/onion, carrots, and celery. Season to taste with salt and pepper (about 1 tsp each). Cook until the veggies are tender; about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in the thawed/drained spinach, artichokes and the garlic and herb cheese spread. Deglaze the pan with the wine (or stock) and stir to combine everything and to cook the alcohol off; about a minute. Add the stock, half and half, and the gnocchi. Reduce the heat to low/med-low and allow the soup to simmer gently until the gnocchi is plumped and cooked through; about 10 minutes or so. Taste and adjust for seasonings. 

If it’s too thick (the gnocchi will drink up the liquid as it sits) you can add more stock, water or half and half until it’s the consistency you like. Serve hot in bowls topped with pieces of crisped prosciutto (see below).

To crisp the prosciutto: place a large skillet over medium heat and, working in batches of a few at a time, place slices of prosciutto in the pan and allow them to crisp up/heat through on both sides; takes about a minute to two minutes total. 

If you like the looks of this Spinach and Artichoke Gnocchi Soup with Crispy Prosciutto, you might also enjoy:

Toasted Garlic Zuppa Tosacana

Chicken Sausage and Wild Rice Soup

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