I order a meal of meat or fish with veggies. I rarely eat pasta there, except lasagna, upon occasion. It takes me hours to work my way through dinner, but I am an excellent tipper (if the service warrants it), and known to the managers, so they don’t mind not turning my table over three or four times in the course of an evening.

Sometimes, after a rigorous evening of shopping or an evening movie, I will stop in for a late meal. I usually just order Chicken Gnocchi soup and breadsticks on those occasions. The manager will often treat me to dessert and sit down to chat for a while. They are going to miss me, now that I have this recipe!

 

INGREDIENTS

1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 large onion, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

4 to 5 sticks of celery, chopped

4½ cups good quality chicken stock

1 tablespoon mixed Italian herbs e.g. basil, thyme, oregano

1 14-oz. can evaporated milk

2 heaping tablespoons cornstarch, dissolved in water to make a slurry

1 16-oz. package of potato gnocchi

3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed or chopped

7 oz. fresh spinach, stems removed and leave torn

Salt and pepper to taste

 

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the chicken, onion, carrots, celery, stock and herbs in the crockpot and cook on low for six hours minimum (or high for four).

Shred the chicken in the pot, then stir in the evaporated milk, cornstarch mixed with water and gnocchi. Replace the lid of the pot.

Now heat up a little oil in a frying pan and cook the garlic for a couple of minutes. Add the spinach to the pan and cook until wilted (a couple of minutes). Add the spinach and garlic to the crockpot along with plenty of salt and pepper to taste.

Adjust the thickness of the soup to your liking (if too thin, add a little more cornstarch mixed with water, if a little thick, add some water). Then serve in big bowls with toasted bread drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt (if desired).

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Quick Tip:  If you have any leftovers, you will find that the gnocchi have absorbed a lot of the liquid by the next day, as they are like little sponges. Just add some milk, or water, to thin it to your desired consistency. Add it slowly and in small increments, because you don’t want it to get too thin.

Recipe and image courtesy of Helen at Scrummy Lane