Crockpot Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup
Italian sausage gnocchi soup in the crockpot is a thick, creamy tomato broth with browned sausage, kale and soft potato dumplings. The slow cooker blends the seasonings all day, and the gnocchi go in at the very end so they stay tender.
6
servings20
minutes6
hours30
minutesItalian sausage, onion and tomatoes simmer in broth, then gnocchi, kale and cream finish the soup. A hearty, creamy bowl with a little heat.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 package (16 oz) shelf-stable potato gnocchi
4 cups chopped kale, stems removed
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Brown the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes, breaking it into crumbles, until no pink remains and it reaches 160 degrees F. Drain off most of the fat.
- Add the onion and garlic to the skillet for the last 2 minutes, then scrape everything into a 6-quart slow cooker.
- Add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Stir well.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours, until the flavors are deep and the onion is soft.
- Turn the slow cooker to HIGH. Stir in the gnocchi and kale, pressing them under the liquid.
- Cover and cook for 30 minutes, until the gnocchi are soft and puffed and the kale is tender.
- Turn the heat to LOW and stir in the cream and Parmesan. Heat 5 minutes.
- Taste, add salt if needed, and ladle into bowls with extra Parmesan.
Notes
- Use mild or hot sausage depending on your crowd. Spinach can replace the kale and only needs 5 minutes. Use half-and-half for a lighter soup, though it will be a little thinner. Leftover soup keeps 3 days in the fridge, and the gnocchi thicken it, so loosen with broth when reheating.
Why this sausage gnocchi soup works in a slow cooker
Italian sausage is seasoned with fennel, garlic and pepper, so it flavors the whole pot with no extra spice jars. As the soup simmers, the fat melts into the tomato broth and gives it a rich body that plain broth does not have.
Waiting to add the gnocchi is the key. Potato dumplings are soft already, so they only need 30 minutes of heat. Added at the start, they would melt into a starchy mess, but added at the end they stay plump and tender.
It is also easy to scale. Double the broth and sausage and use an 8-quart pot to feed a crowd, and keep the gnocchi to one bag per six servings so the soup does not turn thick.
Ingredient notes for a hearty bowl
Italian sausage: Use bulk sausage or squeeze links out of their casings. Mild is family friendly, and hot gives the broth a low, warm kick.
Diced tomatoes: Keep the juice in the pot. It adds acidity that balances the cream at the end.
Tomato paste: Two spoonfuls give a deeper color and a sweeter tomato flavor than the canned tomatoes alone.
Kale: Lacinato or curly kale both work. Strip out the thick ribs and chop it small so it softens in 30 minutes.
Gnocchi: Shelf-stable vacuum-packed gnocchi holds its shape best. Frozen works, but add it 10 minutes earlier. Buy a little extra of this one, since it tends to disappear from the pot first.
Tips for a creamy soup with tender gnocchi
Brown the sausage first: It adds flavor and lets you drain off extra fat. A greasy soup tastes heavy, so remove most of it.
Add cream at the end: Heat from a long cook can curdle dairy. Stir it in when the soup is on LOW.
Do not cook the gnocchi all day: The most common mistake is adding gnocchi at the start. After a few hours they dissolve, so keep them for the last 30 minutes.
Strip the kale: Thick kale ribs stay tough no matter how long they cook. Fold each leaf and slide your knife along the rib, then chop the leaves small.
Swaps and variations
For a lighter soup, use turkey Italian sausage and swap the cream for whole milk. White beans stirred in with the gnocchi make it heartier. A spoonful of pesto stirred in at the end adds fresh herb flavor. If you want more heat, double the red pepper flakes or use hot sausage.
Do not use fresh refrigerated gnocchi here. It is softer than the shelf-stable kind and falls apart in a hot slow cooker.
For extra flavor, add a Parmesan rind with the tomatoes and fish it out before serving. A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens the cream.
A swap that works well is spinach for the kale. It wilts in five minutes, so stir it in with the cream instead of with the gnocchi.
What to serve with it
This soup is filling, so a simple side is enough. Serve with garlic bread or crusty rolls to dip, plus a crisp salad with lemon dressing. Extra Parmesan and a few red pepper flakes at the table finish each bowl.
Storing, freezing and reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days. The gnocchi soak up broth overnight, so the soup will be thicker the next day.
Reheat on the stove over medium-low heat with a splash of broth, stirring often. For the freezer, freeze the soup base before adding the gnocchi, kale and cream, for up to 3 months.
The soup is rich, so serve smaller bowls as a starter, or full bowls as dinner with bread on the side.
Crockpot Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup at a glance
- Prep time: 20 minutes
- Cooking time: 6 hours 30 minutes
- Servings: 6 servings
- Ingredients: 14, led by Italian sausage, yellow onion, garlic, (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
Tips for Crockpot Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup
Use mild or hot sausage depending on your crowd. Spinach can replace the kale and only needs 5 minutes. Use half-and-half for a lighter soup, though it will be a little thinner. Leftover soup keeps 3 days in the fridge, and the gnocchi thicken it, so loosen with broth when reheating.
Crockpot Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup FAQ
How long does Crockpot Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup take?
Crockpot Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup takes 6 hours 30 minutes of cooking after 20 minutes of prep.
How many people does Crockpot Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup serve?
This recipe makes 6 servings.
What do I need to make Crockpot Italian Sausage Gnocchi Soup?
14 ingredients, led by Italian sausage, yellow onion, garlic, (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
