Categories: Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground Italian sausage*, spicy or mild
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• 2 large carrots, diced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 2 bell peppers, diced (I used one red, one yellow)
• 5 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 cup dry red or white wine
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes (I used fire-roasted)
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
• 1 (16-ounce) package gnocchi
• 2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach or roughly-chopped kale
• optional toppings: freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, finely-chopped fresh parsley or basil

Directions

1. Brown the sausage in a large stockpot over medium-high heat — crumbling it with a spoon as you go — until it is cooked through.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to a separate plate, leaving behind about 1-2 tablespoons of grease in the pot.  (Remove any excess grease, or add a little bit of olive oil if there is not enough remaining.)

2. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the carrots, celery, bell peppers, garlic, and sauté for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Add in the wine, and use a wooden spoon to deglaze the pot (scraping up those delicious brown bits that get stuck to the bottom).  Add in the chicken stock, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and stir to combine.  Continue cooking until the soup reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 5-10 more minutes, or until the vegetables are completely tender.

4. Add in the cooked sausage, gnocchi and spinach (or kale), and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the gnocchi begin to float and are cooked through.  Taste and season with salt and pepper (and/or extra crushed red pepper flakes) as needed.

5. Serve immediately, sprinkled with your desired toppings.

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