Creamy Italian Sausage & Potato Gnocchi Soup

Okay, listen. I know I say every soup I make is the best soup ever, but I am telling you right now — this Creamy Italian Sausage & Potato Gnocchi Soup might actually be my supremely best soup on the planet. It is INSANELY good.

And that is saying a lot because I have gone viral over and over again with my soups. You guys have gone crazy for my Lasagna Soup, Creamy Mini Meatball Soup, and Creamy Sicilian Sausage & Ditalini Soup. But THIS ONE?! I don’t know. This one might have taken the number one spot.

It is a one-pot creamy Italian soup loaded with Italian sausage, pillowy potato gnocchi, spinach, Parmesan, and the most incredible creamy broth. But the real secret is the seasoning blend. I swear I need to bottle this stuff because once those seasonings hit the mirepoix, garlic, and sausage, your entire house is going to smell insane.

Then we add a little tomato paste — not enough to turn this into a tomato soup, just enough to give the broth that gorgeous pinkish color and tons of umami — followed by white wine, chicken base, Parmesan, and heavy cream.

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And the gnocchi cooks right in the soup! No separate pot. No extra nonsense. One pot and DONE.

Serve this with a big piece of Italian bread for dipping and prepare to absolutely freak out.

Melissa’s Tips!

• Keep the heat under control. Most of this recipe should be made over medium to medium-low heat. We aren’t trying to scorch the vegetables or seasonings.
• Don’t rush the mirepoix. Giving the onion, carrots, and celery time to slowly soften builds the base flavor for the entire soup.
• Bloom those seasonings. Letting the dried spices cook in the oil for a bit wakes them up and makes a huge difference.
• Cook the tomato paste in the fat. Don’t just dump it into the liquid. Sautéing it first gives it a deeper, richer flavor.
• Don’t salt until the end! Italian sausage, Parmesan, and Better Than Bouillon all bring salt to the soup. You may not need any additional salt at all.
• Don’t overcook the gnocchi. Once they’re tender, you’re almost done. Gnocchi can get too soft if they’re boiled forever.
• Let the soup sit before serving. Give it a few minutes off the heat and you’ll see that creamy broth get even thicker and better.
• Get the bread. Italian bread dipped into this creamy broth is basically mandatory.

🤔 Common Questions

Melissa Jo

Creamy Italian Sausage & Potato Gnocchi Soup

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This one-pot Creamy Italian Sausage & Potato Gnocchi Soup is loaded with savory Italian sausage, tender potato gnocchi, fresh spinach, Parmesan, and an insanely flavorful creamy broth. A special Italian seasoning blend, tomato paste, white wine, and chicken base give this easy soup incredible depth and flavor. Serve it with Italian bread for the ultimate cozy dinner!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Servings: 5 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Ingredients

  

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• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup diced yellow onion
• ½ cup diced celery
• ½ cup diced carrots
• 3 cloves garlic minced, chopped, or thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground mustard
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Cracked black pepper to taste
• 1 lb bulk Italian sausage mild or hot
• 2 tablespoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• ½ cup dry white wine such as Chardonnay
• 4 cups water
• 16 oz potato gnocchi
• ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 5 oz fresh spinach roughly chopped
• Salt ONLY if needed at the very end
• Italian bread for serving

Method

 

Step 1: Slow and Low With the Mirepoix

1. Add the extra virgin olive oil to a large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium to medium-low heat.
2. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots.
3. Now, listen to me: we are not stir-frying these vegetables! This is Italian cooking. We want slow and low.
4. Let the vegetables gently sauté until they’re softened, translucent, and just beginning to get a little tinge of golden color.

Step 2: Add the Garlic & THE Seasoning Blend

1. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
2. Then add the dried basil, garlic powder, oregano, smoked paprika, ground mustard, cayenne, crushed red pepper, and cracked black pepper.
3. Stir everything together and let those seasonings bloom in the oil with the vegetables and garlic.
4. THIS is when your kitchen is going to start smelling absolutely ridiculous.
5. And notice what we aren’t adding: salt.
6. Do not salt this soup yet! Between the Italian sausage, chicken base, and Parmesan, there is already plenty of saltiness coming. Taste the finished soup first and only add salt if you think it actually needs it.

Step 3: Brown the Italian Sausage

1. Push the seasoned vegetables over to one side of the pot.
2. Add the Italian sausage to the open side and break it apart with your spoon as it cooks. You can use mild or hot Italian sausage depending on what you like.
3. Continue cooking over medium to medium-low heat until the sausage is browned and pretty much cooked through.
4. Then mix the sausage and vegetables together and let everybody get to know each other in that pot!

Step 4: Cook the Chicken Base & Tomato Paste in the Fat

1. Push the sausage mixture over to the side again.
2. Add the Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base and tomato paste directly into the fat in the bottom of the pot.
3. Do not skip this part!
4. Sauté the chicken base and tomato paste in that fat for a minute or two before mixing everything together.
5. The tomato paste is SO important here. We’re not adding enough to make this a tomato-based soup. It simply adds incredible umami, depth, and that gorgeous slightly pink color to the finished broth.

Step 5: Deglaze With White Wine

1. Pour in the white wine and stir everything together, scraping up all the delicious bits from the bottom of the pot.
2. I use Chardonnay, and one of my favorite little hacks is buying those mini bottles of wine for cooking. Half of one is basically perfect for this recipe!
3. Let the wine cook for about 3 minutes over medium heat so it reduces and the alcohol cooks off.

Step 6: Add the Water & Gnocchi

1. Pour in 4 cups of water and bring the soup to a boil.
2. Once boiling, add the potato gnocchi.
3. Cook the gnocchi for approximately 3–5 minutes, or according to the package directions, until tender.

Step 7: Make It CREAMY

1. Once the gnocchi is nearly finished, add:
2. ¾ cup grated Parmesan
3. 1 cup heavy cream
4. 5 oz roughly chopped fresh spinach
5. Stir everything together until the Parmesan melts into the broth and the spinach wilts.
6. Lower the heat and let everything come together for about another 5 minutes. Don’t simmer it forever because we don’t want mushy, overcooked gnocchi!
7. Turn off the heat and let the soup sit for a few minutes.
8. This is important because the soup will thicken as it sits.
9. Then taste it. If — and ONLY if — you think it needs salt, add a little now.
10. Grab the Italian bread and get ready because this soup is INSANE.

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👝 How to Store Leftovers

Store leftover Creamy Italian Sausage & Potato Gnocchi Soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3–4 days.

Don’t be surprised when you open the refrigerator the next day and it looks MUCH thicker. The gnocchi continues soaking up that creamy broth as it sits.

To reheat it, just add a little water.

You don’t need more chicken stock or cream. Add a splash of water until the soup reaches the consistency you like, then gently warm it on the stovetop or in the microwave.