Food Friday : Better Than Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup--Using Leftovers!

I wouldn't make that claim if it wasn't true. I have the talent of "back-engineering" recipes, like my mom, and making it better. The trouble is, I don't measure, I just dump the ingredients, taste test, repeat.

We had a lot of left over chicken this week, so I saved it, and decided to make my Chicken Gnocchi soup. After posting pictures, I've been asked for the recipe. It's different every time I make it, but it's still better than Olive Garden.

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter
1 bag of shredded carrots
1/2 chopped white onion
3 stalks of celery-diced
Leftover chicken (or two cans of diced chicken breasts)
1 package of Gnocchi
2 cans of chicken broth
2 cups of water and 2 chicken bullion cubes
1 package of frozen spinach
1/2 pint of heavy cream
Pepper to taste

In a large stock pot (I use my dutch oven pot), put the onion, celery, carrots, frozen spinach and butter. Let the veggies cook on medium heat, until the butter is melted and it is all cooked down (about 10 minutes). Toss in everything but the cream, bring it to a boil, boil for about 5 minutes. Turn the heat down, add the cream. Let it simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding pepper to taste.

Yum! I made this batch to freeze for our elderly neighbors, but, of course, the boys wanted to taste test it. And they LOVED it.

They're eating veggies and they love it. I'm using up leftovers. WIN! WIN!