Cozy up with this creamy and delicious Sausage Gnocchi Soup that’s packed with flavor and ready in about an hour. It’s perfect for cool nights and the leftovers are even better the next day!
Sausage gnocchi soup is everything you want in a soup.
It’s packed with flavor thanks to the crumbled Italian sausage, leek, carrots, celery, and fresh basil, and the creamy gnocchi and broth make it ultra comforting.
Since this soup takes about an hour to make, it’s perfect for busy weeknights!
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Sausage. I’m using bulk Italian sausage with fennel. If you can’t find bulk sausage, you can buy sausage links and remove the meat from the casing.
- Gnocchi. The better quality of gnocchi, the better your soup will be. Homemade gnocchi (I’ll often make large batches and freeze them for a later date) will yield the best results, but honestly, the gnocchi I’ve found in the refrigerator section of the grocery store is a very close second not to mention a huge time saver. You can also use shelf-stable gnocchi, although I find these are overly dense and not nearly as good as the refrigerated gnocchi.
- Heavy cream. I do recommend using heavy cream rather than milk as it will not break.
- Wine. Use a dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
- Clean and chop 1 large leek. Dice 3 celery ribs and 3 medium carrots. Mince 6 cloves of garlic and chop 1/4 cup of packed basil leaves. Heat a large heavy pot to medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add 1 pound of bulk Italian sausage. Cook the sausage until browned while breaking it up with a spoon or meat masher. Once browned, remove the sausage to a plate with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil along with the leeks, celery, carrots, a pinch of salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons of fennel seeds, and 1/4 cup of water. Use a wooden spoon to gently scrape the bottom of the ban to dislodge any brown bits. Note: If the sausage you are using already contains fennel, you cam omit the fennel seeds.
- Cook the vegetables until soft (about 10-15 minutes) while stirring frequently. If the vegetables start to burn, just lower the heat and/or add a splash of water or dry white wine to bring down the pot’s temp. Once they’re soft, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of dry white wine and turn the heat up to high while using the spoon to scrape the bottom and dislodge any brown bits. Cook until the wine reduces by half, about 1-2 minutes, then add the sausage back to the pot along with 8 cups of low-sodium chicken stock and a Parmigiano Reggiano rind. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes, then add 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add 1 pound of gnocchi and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender.
- Add 5 ounces of baby spinach and cook for another 30 seconds, then remove the pot from the heat. Taste test the soup and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Add the basil and serve in bowls with grated cheese and crusty bread. Enjoy!
Top tips
- Use homemade stock. Whenever possible I encourage you to use homemade chicken stock. It not only elevates the flavor and texture of your soup, but it gives you greater control over the sodium levels in whatever dish you’re making.
- Gnocchi. Use homemade potato gnocchi or buy your gnocchi from the refrigerated section of your grocery store if possible. The quality is far superior to any shelf-stable version.
- Save your Parmigiano Reggiano rinds! Don’t discard your rinds as they are so incredibly useful. Wrap the rind in plastic and store in the fridge or freezer. I use them in so many of our soup recipes and they add so much depth of flavor.
More simple soup recipes
As soon as the cooler weather hits I’m all about soups! Here are some of my family’s favorite soup recipes and they’re all easy enough to whip up during the week.
If you’ve enjoyed this Sausage Gnocchi Soup Recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and tell us about it in the comments below.
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Sausage Gnocchi Soup
This creamy and delicious sausage gnocchi soup is packed with veggies, crumbly sausage, and tons of flavor! It's easy to make and ready in about an hour.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil divided
- 1 pound bulk mild Italian sausage
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seed can omit if using fennel sausage
- 1 large leek chopped
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 3 medium carrots diced
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 8 cups low-sodium chicken stock plus more to thin if needed
- 1 small parmesan rind optional, see notes below
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 pound gnocchi
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- 1/4 packed cup basil leaves chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large heavy pot to medium heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the sausage. Cook the sausage until browned while breaking it up into small pieces. Once browned, remove the sausage to a plate with a slotted spoon.
- Add the remaining olive oil along with the leeks, celery, carrot, fennel seeds, a pinch of salt, and a 1/4 cup of water. With a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to dislodge the brown bits. Cook until soft while stirring every so often (about 10-15 minutes). If the veggies starts to burn, simply add a splash of water. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Next, add the wine and turn the heat to high. Again, with a wooden spoon scrape the bottom of the pot to dislodge any remaining brown bits. Once the wine has reduced by half (about 1-2 minutes) add the cooked sausage, chicken stock, and Parmesan rind. Bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cream and simmer the soup for another 10 minutes.
- Add the gnocchi and cook until tender (about 2-3 minutes) then add the spinach leaves and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove the pot from the heat and taste test the soup. Adjust salt and pepper if required. Stir in the basil.
- Serve in bowls with grated cheese and crusty bread. Enjoy!
Notes
- Makes 6 large bowls or 8 moderate servings.
- Any type of Italian sausage can be used. If using fennel sausage, you can omit the fennel seeds.
- We always recommend saving parmesan rinds! They are excellent for soups like this, but if you don’t have one just serve with plenty of grated cheese.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the microwave or stovetop.
Nutrition
Calories: 636kcal | Carbohydrates: 41.7g | Protein: 18.1g | Fat: 43.2g | Saturated Fat: 20.3g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 1184mg | Potassium: 826mg | Fiber: 5.4g | Sugar: 2.2g | Calcium: 175mg | Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This soup is wonderful. I have been cooking for two other families due to sever illnesses for several weeks. They all raved about this soup. So easy and just darn right delicious. Thanks
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Gene and Pat!
This was crazy good! I added a little vegetable better than bullion to the stock and it really ramped up the flavor. I’ll be making this again.
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Nicole!
This soup is perfect.
I’ve made a number of your recipes this past year. They were all fantastic and this one is the best so far.
Personally, I was surprised at how much depth of flavor there was to this dish after my first run at this recipe.
I made a double batch this time for the holidays and am proud to show this off at the work Christmas party.
I’ll probably continue making this one for years to come. It’s just that delicious.
Also, my family and I enjoy watching your videos, so, thank you!
We’re happy to hear that, Matthew! Thanks for the comment!
Great!
So happy you liked it!
This looks delish. Going to make. There is only 2 of us…how does it freeze with the gnocchi? Thank you for all your great recipes and sharing. 🙏
Hi Donna, this soup will freeze well. If you’re worried about the gnocchi, you can always freeze the soup and add fresh gnocchi when you’re ready to eat it.
Made this with most of the ingredients from my local farmer’s market, and I swapped out mild sausage for hot that must have left all the fennel seed I would have needed when I cooked it. Perfect soup for fall!
So happy you enjoyed, Owen!
This recipe was delicious. I will certainly make this again!
So happy you enjoyed!
Another great recipe!!
We’re happy you enjoyed this one, Monica!
Made this for dinner last night and WOW. This makes a huge batch of soup and it is sooooo delicious. Massive hit in our household! I love the addition of the gnocchi. All of your soup recipes are stellar, but this one might be my favorite!
We’re so happy you and your family loved it, Crystal! Thanks for the comment!
Wow! So delicious! Followed the recipe exactly-except by mistake I bought hot Italian sausage instead of mild and it was perfect 🙂
Love your recipes and your videos.
Thanks!
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Jeannie! Thanks for the comment!
This is so full of flavor! I’ve been making Olive Garden’s Zuppa Tuscany soup for years. This is real similar but so much tastier. Make it!
We’re so happy you enjoyed the soup, Carrie!
R
The sausage soup sounds so good but I’m lactose intolerant. If I left out the heavy cream would it still be good? I know it won’t be creamy but that’s ok.
Hi Mary Lou, yes, you can omit the cream and it will still be good. Hope you enjoy!
I didn’t have heavy cream so I used a can of full fat coconut milk. Also subbed in frozen spinach for the fresh I didn’t have. Delicious!
So happy you enjoyed it!