Gnocchi and Pesto Soup

Hello hello!

I’m back from my honeymoon to Belize!  It was absolutely fabulous and relaxing in every way possible.  Pictures and posts about that will be up shortly.  In the meantime, I’ve returned to a life of cooking for myself…life is hard.

Which brings me to my next point, this week is SOUP WEEK!

Gnocchi and Pesto Soup…a spin off of the classes potato and vegetable soup

14 bloggers have come together to warm your bellies and your hearts through a week of soup recipes!  I hope you are as excited as I am!  As usual, there is a GIVEAWAY on one of the blogs listed below.  Enter for your chance to win Le Creuset!

When creating this recipe, I wanted to incorporate all of the stick-to-your-ribs goodness that we all crave during the winter months.  I think my body went into major hibernation mode this winter because all I wanted was mac n’ cheese, pizza, and hot mashed potatoes.  The result was an additional 8 pounds (holy hell) that I am still trying to work off.  Damn the winter!

“Winter” is also a relative term.  In California, it means that we will be shaking in our boots in 50 degree weather, but it’s -10 in Minnesota today.  Either way, my body is feasting like a bear in survival mode to live through the chill.  😛

Where was I?  Oh yes, stick-to-your-ribs.  To start, I used my absolute favorite bold garlicky pesto recipe.  This recipe is something my family has been making for years “by feel”, but I finally wrote the ingredients down and posted the recipe here.

Most of the potato soup recipes I’ve used in the past and the ones I’ve seen online are fairly similar.  You start with the mirepoix (fancy term for onion, carrot, and celery), then add potatoes and boil with your liquids.  The twist on this one is the addition of gnocchi and pesto for extra winter tummy-warming heartiness.

Secret ingredients for that extra OOMF!

For the soup portion of the recipe, you will need:

• 4 russet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 2 carrots (peeled and chopped)
• 2 stalks celery (chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 6 cups chicken broth
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 package potato gnocchi
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Pesto (store-bought or homemade…please do yourself a favor and make homemade)
• Shredded parmesan cheese for topping

1. Make sure the onion, carrot, and celery are all chopped to roughly the same small size.  A uniform size ensures they cook evenly in the pan.
   

   Mirepoix. I love saying that.

2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and saute onion, carrots, and celery until slightly softened and starting to brown (about 5 minutes).
3. Add potatoes and garlic, sautéing for a minute or two.  You just want a little bit of brown on the edges for extra flavor.
4. Season the veggies with salt and pepper, then add the broth.
   

   If you don’t have a big enough pot (I didn’t), just use two! Also, if you prep your veggies the night before (like me), your potatoes will start to oxidize and turn purple in the fridge. Don’t be like me.

5. Bring to a boil until potatoes are tender (about 10 minutes).
6. Give the broth a quick taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.
7. Using an immersion blender (or a regular blender in batches), blend the soup until it’s nice and creamy.
8. Add the gnocchi and continue over medium heat until the gnocchi is completely cooked (about 3 minutes).
9. Add the heavy cream and stir until combined.
   

   BTW, it is incredibly difficult to pour with one hand and get a picture of the pour with your other hand. That’s why this picture is not focused correctly. I need a soux chef/photographer!

10. Do a final taste test to make sure the seasonings are correct.
11. Pour into your bowl and top with a dollop of pesto and a sprinkling of parmesan!

As far as soups go, this recipe was very easy and the taste was fantastic!  You want to eat this.

What are you making to keep warm this winter?  Did you suffer from the hibernation feed-me-all-the-things feelings this winter?  

-Mads

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Please check out these other bloggers over the course of the week.  These women create some of the tastiest recipes and most entertaining stories on the internet.  (Links to soup posts will become available throughout the week.)

Monday:

• Comfortably Domestic—Broccoli Cheddar with Bread Bowls
• The Girly Girl Cooks–Hearty Vegetable Mexican Soup & Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread
• The Hill Country Cook—3 Bean & Spinach Soup and a LE CREUSET GIVEAWAY!

Tuesday:

• Munching in the Mitten–Garbage Soup
• My recipe for Gnocchi Pesto Soup (above)

Wednesday:

• Country Cleaver–40 Clove Garlic Chicken Soup with Parmesan Croutons
• Climbing Grier Mountain–Sunchoke Soup with Gorgonzola and Honey Crostini

Thursday:

• The Grommom–Coconut Curry with a lot of Aloha
• Bakeaholic Mama–Beef Bourguignon and French Baguettes

Friday:

• Tenaciously Yours–Eat Live Run’s White Chicken Chili
• Decadent Philistines Save the World–Arizona Mountain Soup with Cornbread

Saturday:

• From My Sweet Heart–Pink Prosecco Soup
• Kvetchin’ Kitchen–Creamy Mushroom Soup
• Inside NanaBread’s Head–Shrimp Bisque