Chicken Gnocchi Soup

My husband made this based on a CopyKat recipe for Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi. I love this soup. The homemade version is better than the restaurant one, by the way.

Ingredients - recipe adapted from http://www.copykat.com/2010/02/28/olive-garden-chicken-and-gnocchi-soup/?print=1

• 1 tablespoons extra virgin oil
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 quart half and half
• 1/2 cup celery, finely diced
• 1 cup onion, finely diced
• 2 minced garlic cloves
• 2 14 ounce cans of chicken broth if you enjoy thick soup, use one can
• 1 cup carrots, finely shredded
• 1 cup chicken breasts, cooked and diced (we used a rotisserie chicken)
• 1 package gnocchi, small sized, cooked  (World Market always has it, if you have trouble finding it)
• 1 cup of fresh spinach coarsely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon parsley

Instructions

Saute the onion, celery, and garlic in the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the onion becomes translucent. Add the flour and make a roux - which is a gravy-like consistency. Let the butter and flour mixture cook for about a minute before adding 1 quart of half and half.

Cook gnocchi according to package directions in a separate pot.

Into the roux, add in the carrots and chicken. Once the mixture becomes thick, add the chicken broth. Once the mixture thickens again, add the cooked gnocchi, spinach, and seasoning; simmer until soup is heated through.  Before serving season to taste by adding additional salt. I like a big splash of pepper on this one after it's ladled into the bowls.