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Slow Cooker Creamy Gnocchi Sausage Kale Soup is thick and creamy comfort in a bowl!
Almost like a fully loaded Zuppa Toscana, this Slow Cooker Creamy Gnocchi Sausage Kale Soup is absolutely incredible, with a guilt-ridden sinful taste BUT only half the calories of regular creamy soups! It’s the addition of gnocchi (also known as soft and pillowy dumplings) that make this soup a family favourite!
Slow Cooker Soup Recipe
Put on your sweats and fluffy socks, and get ready to welcome winter with open arms and a bowl of heaven! Like our ham and bean soup this soup is so addictive, the leftovers are eaten before getting the chance to be leftovers!
Tips
I’m giving you so many options in this recipe to custom-make it to your own tastes! First, I used a low fat Italian sausage I found at my local butcher. You can also use chicken sausage, normal beef or pork sausage, or even turkey. Just make sure the sausage you use is Italian (that’s where some of the flavour is)!
Next, you can use spinach instead of kale. Also, you can top this soup with crispy bacon if you wish! There’s so much flavour in this soup already, we didn’t need to add a thing. However, taste and preference is such a personal thing that you’re more than welcome to make it toy your own tastes.
Lightened up creamy options
Another thing I do in this recipe is use evaporated milk instead of thickened or heavy creams. Of course, you can use either, or even a combo of both! As you can see down here ↓ this soup is so thick and creamy with evaporated milk that you won’t notice the absence of heavy cream. But once again, it’s your choice.
Inspired by Zuppa Toscana
While I really want to call this soup a Zuppa Toscana (a popular soup made at the incredible Olive Garden), I feel that this one is loaded with so much flavour, it makes a world of difference!
Watch us make this Creamy Gnocchi Sausage Kale Soup right here!
Looking for more soups? Try these!
Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Soup
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Slow Cooker Creamy Gnocchi Sausage Kale Soup
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground hot Italian sausage browned, or any other sausage - chicken, pork, beef or turkey
- 1 onion peeled and diced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 2 celery sticks diced
- 5 cloves garlic or 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 4 cups chicken broth good-quality
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons vegetable stock powder like Vegeta, or chicken/beef bouillon powder — chicken adds better flavour
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt adjust to your tastes
- 1/3 teaspoon cracked black pepper, (adjust to your tastes)
- 600 ml evaporated milk or half and half, or reduced fat cream - full fat may also be used if not watching calorie intake
- 3 heaping tablespoons cornstarch mixed and dissolved well in 2 cups of milk, I use 2% milk
- 1 pound fresh gnocchi found in the fridge section of your supermarket
- 4 cups shredded kale leaves, stems removed (or baby spinach leaves),
- 1 pinch salt to taste
- 1 pinch pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the browned sausage, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, broth, Italian seasoning, Vegeta (or bouillon), onion powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper in a crockpot or slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
- Add the evaporated milk (or half and half or cream), milk/cornstarch mixture and gnocchi. Stir and replace cover. Cook another 30 minutes until the soup has thickened and the gnocchi has softened.
- Add in the chopped kale (or spinach), cover for an extra 5 minutes or until just beginning to wilt.
- Taste test and season with extra salt and pepper, if desired. Serve immediately with optional parmesan cheese and bacon. (If soup thickens too much when cold, just add extra milk in half cup increments until achieving desired consistency while warming it up to serve.)
Notes
- You can also use chicken sausage, normal beef or pork sausage, or even turkey. Just make sure the sausage you use is Italian because that's where the flavour is!
- optional toppings: freshly grated parmesan cheese and crispy bacon
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Question. Can I use dried gnocchi? I don’t have access to fresh and I am dying to try this recipe.
Hi Miss,
I just asked Karina this question, and she advises below
Yes, you can definitely use dried gnocchi in your recipe! While fresh gnocchi typically has a softer texture and cooks more quickly, dried gnocchi can work well too. Here are a few tips on using dried gnocchi in your Slow Cooker Creamy Gnocchi Sausage Kale Soup:
Cooking Time: Dried gnocchi usually requires longer cooking time to become tender. You may want to add it earlier in the cooking process, possibly during the last hour of cooking, depending on the package instructions.
Check for Doneness: Keep an eye on the gnocchi as it cooks; taste-test it to ensure it reaches your desired texture.
Adjust Liquid: Dried gnocchi absorbs more liquid than fresh gnocchi, so you might need to add a bit more broth or milk to achieve the right consistency.
Just follow the main instructions of the recipe, adjusting the cooking times for the dried gnocchi, and you should be set to enjoy your delicious soup!
I was searching for a crockpot soup recipe that I could use up some kale and found this Slow Cooker Creamy Gnocchi Sausage Kale Soup. I happened to have all the ingredients only having to swap out the Italian sausage for Jimmy Dean 1lb ground pork sausage roll.
I made it following exactly as written. WOW is this a fantastic recipe! So flavorful and delicious. I’d add a couple more “stars” if I could.
This recipe will be used often for sure
So glad I stumbled on this! Thanks
I made your mushroom soup last night for dinner. I’m not a fan of mushrooms but this was delicious. I cut the mushrooms smaller and fried them a little brown. Thanks for the yummy recipe. Ann