Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), 2 turns of the pan
  • 4 ribs celery from the heart, chopped
  • 2 medium onions, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups store-bought shredded carrots, (3 generous handfuls)
  • 1 fresh bay leaf
  • Salt and pepper
  • 6 cups chicken stock
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • A little freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs (a couple of handfuls)
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (a couple of handfuls)
  • 1 package gnocchi, available in market refrigerated aisle with fresh pastas
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • A handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • Crusty bread for mopping

Yield

Serves: 4 servings

Preparation

Heat a soup pot over medium to medium-high heat with EVOO. Add celery, onions, carrots and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, and cook 5 minutes. Add stock to the pot, cover and bring to a boil.

Place chicken in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, nutmeg, egg, bread crumbs and cheese.

Combine the chicken mixture with your hands then roll into walnut-sized meat balls and add to the soup. Wash up, then add the gnocchi to the pot and cook for 5 minutes.

Add peas and parsley, and cook 2 minutes more. Turn heat off under the stoup and allow it to cool for 5 minutes on the stovetop before serving with crusty bread.