Ingredients

For the soup:
6 tablespoons salted butter
1 white onion, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
4 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
3 cups rotisserie chicken meat, shredded
4 cups chicken stock
1 12-ounce package refrigerated gnocchi
2 ¾ cups fresh spinach
1 cup Country Fresh heavy cream
½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

For the breadcrumbs:
2 tablespoons salted butter
½ cup plain breadcrumbs

For the herb oil:
8 basil leaves
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

For the garnish:
Red pepper flakes, optional
Parmesan cheese, shredded

How to

1 day in advance

For the soup:
Melt butter in a large pot with a lid set over medium heat. Add onion, carrots and red bell pepper. Add a few pinches of kosher salt and black pepper, stirring to coat. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Stir in flour and Italian seasoning, cooking for a few minutes to ensure the flour is no longer raw. Add chicken and chicken stock. Increase heat, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat, cool and store overnight in the refrigerator.

For the breadcrumbs:
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in breadcrumbs and toast, stirring occasionally, until breadcrumbs are deeply golden brown. Remove from heat, and store in a sealed container until ready to serve.

For the herb oil:
Combine all ingredients in a high-powered blender, and blend until smooth. If desired, run the oil through a fine mesh sieve and discard the solids. Store in a sealed container until ready to serve.

The day of

Place creamy chicken gnocchi soup over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Stir in gnocchi, fresh spinach and heavy cream. Simmer 10 minutes, or until gnocchi are tender. Stir in Parmesan cheese and more salt and pepper, to taste.

Recipe and image provided by Half & Half magazine.