Creamy Paleo Gnocchi, Sausage & Kale Soup

 

Makes ~8 servings

315 cals * 19.3g fat * 12.6g carb * 18.5g protein

Ingredients: 

1 lb Italian sausage, I used ground turkey but sliced would be great too! 

1 bag (12 oz) cauliflower gnocchi, I used frozen cauliflower gnocchi from Trader Joe's

1 bunch kale, washed, massaged, and shredded. 

1 cup cooked and chopped bacon, about 6 slices

1/2 yellow onion, diced

4 cups chicken broth 

1 can of full-fat coconut milk

2 tbs nutritional yeast

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 red pepper flakes 

1 tsp garlic powder 

1/2 tsp onion powder 

1 tsp Italian seasoning 

1 tsp dried parsley flakes 

1/2 tsp paprika 

2 garlic, minced 

1 scoop  collagen peptides* optional --adds protein and a slight thickening texture

2 tbs olive oil 

Directions: 

Stove-top/Soup pot: 

1. Heat a medium-large size pan on medium heat and add 1 tbs olive oil. Once oil is warmed, add onion and saute until translucent. Add in minced garlic and saute for 45 seconds. Add in Italian sausage and cook thoroughly. Set aside when done. 
2. Heat a medium-large soup pot on medium heat and add 1 tbs olive oil to pan and dump frozen gnocchi in. Make sure they are spread out in a single layer and then DO NOT touch/move/flip them for 5 min. After five min, flip and let sear for another 5 min. You can move them around and sear all sides at this point, if desired.
3. Add meat/onion mixture to the pot along with chicken broth, coconut milk, all seasonings, the nutritional yeast, and collagen peptides, if using. 
4. Stir. 
5. Let simmer on medium-high for 30 min. 
6. After 30 min, add shredded and massaged kale to slow cooker 
7. Add in cooked bacon.
8. Simmer 15-20 min until  kale is wilted but still bright green. 

Serve and season with salt and pepper, as desired. 

Slow cooker: 

1. Heat a medium-large size pan on medium heat and add olive oil. once warm, add onion and saute until translucent. Add in minced garlic and saute for 45 seconds or so. Add in Italian sausage and cook thoroughly. 
2. Add meat/ onion mixture to slow cooker. 
3. Add in chicken broth, coconut milk, all seasonings, nutritional yeast, and collagen peptides, if using. 
4. Stir. 
5. Cook high 3-4 hours, cook low 6-8. 

30 min before serving: 

1. Heat medium-large sized pan over medium heat. Add 1 tbs olive oil to pan and dump frozen gnocchi in. Make sure they are spread out in a single layer and then DO NOT touch for 5 min. After five min, flip and let sear for another 5 min. You can move them around and sear all sides at this point if desired. 
2. Add seared gnocchi to slow cooker. 
3. Add shredded and massaged kale to slow cooker 
4. Add in cooked bacon.
5. Let simmer for 15-20 until kale is wilted but still bright green. 

Serve and season with salt and pepper, as desired. 

Gnocchi Sausage Soup

This Italian soup experiment was a huge success.

As it should be because the Italian's know their food pairings and seasonings. 

This is the first time I've cooked gnocchi, not an applause worthy feat, since all you have to do is boil it for 1-2 min until they puff up. But, I've had to desire to use it and I'm thankful it helped create such a wonderful dish.

I must also note that there is no half and half or evaporated milk in this. To make this creamy soup I just used chicken stock and 3oz of 1/3 less fat cream cheese. Easy, healthier, and still gave this soup a wonderful texture.

Feel free to add in fresh ingredients if you have them on hand but I just used the dry seasonings I had and it was still fantastic.

Inspired from Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

Ingredients: 
1 lb gnocchi
1 lb Italian sausage (any sausage will will work really)*
2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
3 tbs minced garlic cloves,   about 4 cloves
1 small yellow or white onion
4 small sweet peppers or 1 large red or orange pepper, chopped
32 oz chicken stock 
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
3 oz reduced fat cream cheese
olive oil, for sauteing 
salt and pepper, to taste

* you can keep the casing on and have large cuts of sausage in your soup or remove the casing and break it apart (like ground turkey-esk)

Directions:
In a skillet brown sausage to your liking, set aside. 
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot on medium heat.
Add chopped onions and bell peppers and saute until unions are translucent.
Add in garlic and cook until fragrant. 
Add in cooked sausage, chicken stock, and all seasonings. Bring to simmer for 20 min.
Next, add in gnocchi and chopped spinach and bring to a boil for 1-3 min, until gnocchi is puffy and floating to the top of your soup.
Reduce heat to medium and add in the 3 oz of cream cheese in small chunks and stir into the soup until incorporated into the soup.

Serve warm and top with Parmesan cheese if desired. 

The Sweet Potato Soup

This soup was created through the taste as you go method; 
One of the best ways to cook in my opinion.

And let me tell you this soup is unbelievably good.
No joke. I have witnesses....about 8 who ate it with me with praises to go around.

I've had the idea for a  sweet potato soup since last fall, when all the creamy potato soup recipes popped up, since sweet potatoes have more health benefits such as:

•  Vitamin A, C, B-6 and potassium, 
• High fiber 
• Lower glycemic index
• Like most vegetables, they're fat-free and relatively low in calories — one-half of a large sweet potato has just 81 calories.   (Mayo Clinic, Live Strong)

Why wait so long to make the soup, you may ask? 
Well I was waiting for an immersion blender to come into my possession, and it did thanks to by brother-in-law Franky for my birthday!
This is a kitchen tool is amazing!!! Seriously. Cream or whip anything in its own container/pot.  Genius!
If you don't have an immersion blender don't worry you can blend this via a normal blender, or food processor. 

Ingredients: 
serves 6-8
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs onion chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups veggie stock
2 1/2 cups water


Directions: 
Place vegetable stock and water into a pot and bring to boil.
Once boiling, add sweet potatoes and seasonings and Bring to a simmer
Simmer for 15-20 min. Sweet potatoes should be softer at this point.
Use your immersion blender and  begin to cream potatoes. 
It may take a few good pulses with your blender to get the creaminess going.
Once creamed let soup simmer for another 15-20 min. 

Serve warm

*if your using a blender, cook potatoes in stock for 30 min on a simmer. Then let cool for 15 min before transferring to a blender or food processor to cream. Return creamed potatoes to pot and bring back to high temp to server. 

 

ENJOY!!!!

Nutritional Information: 

6 servings

123 cal * 28 carbs * 0g fat * 3g protein* 5g fiber