Slow Cooker Chicken Gnocchi Soup
Ingredients
2 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken chicken breasts
2 cups carrots, matchsticks (or finely chopped)
2 cups white onion, small diced
2 cups celery, small diced
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped or 1 teaspoon dried parsley
2 tsp. Italian seasoning (optional)
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. red pepper chili flakes (optional)
1 Tbsp. chicken bouillon, or 2 chicken bouillon cubes
6 cloves garlic, pressed thru a garlic press
4 cups chicken stock or broth
salt and pepper, to taste. Be generous with the salt
16 ounce package ready-to-use gnocchi
2 1/2-3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup half and half or heavy cream
5 oz. baby spinach, or curly kale, gently torn or chopped
fresh Parmesan, to garnish
3 oz. prosciutto, to garnish (optional)
Directions
Place the chicken, carrots, onion, celery, parsley, Italian seasoning, paprika, chili flakes, chicken bouillon, garlic, chicken stock, salt, and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker.
Gently stir to combine. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 7 hours.
Uncover and shred the chicken. I just do this in the slow cooker with two forks, or you can remove to a cutting board if that’s easier. Then add the chicken back in.
Whisk the cornstarch and half-and-half together. Pour into the soup. Add the gnocchi and spinach, and cook for another 30-60 minutes. The soup should thicken and become creamy, keep stirring it and it should thicken. Add a little more cornstarch slurry if not thickening enough for your preference. Taste and adjust seasonings; add more salt and pepper as desired.
To make the crispy prosciutto, preheat the oven to 400°F. Lay prosciutto slices on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 7-8 minutes or until crispy. Allow to cool, then break or chop into pieces.
Ladle into bowls, top with crispy prosciutto, and Parmesan, and serve with warm, crusty bread.
