This is my go-to soup on cold nights when everyone wants something warm and filling but I don't want to be stuck in the kitchen. Sausage, garlic, and gnocchi simmer together in one pot, then get finished with cream, Parmesan, and a big handful of kale. A squeeze of lemon at the end wakes the whole thing up and keeps it from feeling too heavy.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoons minced garlic
1 pounds sweet Italian sausage (or hot if you like a kick) casings removed
1 tablespoons tomato paste
0.5 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoons Italian seasoning
0.5 teaspoons fennel seed
0.5 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups chicken or beef broth
16 ounces potato gnocchi
1 cups heavy cream
3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
4 cups chopped fresh kale, stems removed
1 teaspoons lemon zest
1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 medium yellow onion, diced and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add sausage, casings removed to the pot and break it apart with a spoon as it browns, cooking until no pink remains.
Stir in tomato paste, salt, black pepper, Italian seasoning, fennel seed, and crushed red pepper flakes, coating the sausage and onions evenly.
Pour in chicken or beef broth and bring the pot to a boil.
Add gnocchi directly to the boiling broth and cook until just tender.
Reduce the heat to low and fold in chopped kale. Let it simmer so the kale has time to soften.
Stir in heavy cream, then add grated Parmesan cheese and stir until melted and smooth.
Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoons lemon zest and 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice. Taste and adjust salt and pepper, then serve hot.
