creamy "bacon" and gnocchi vegetable soup
Warm, cozy, and creamy, the trifecta for a perfect soup
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut chips
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 cup diced carrot
- 1 cup diced celery
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh sage, chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 1/2 tsp dried fennel
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 4-6 cups vegetable broth (or water)
- 1 lb gnocchi, fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup fresh parmesan, grated, plus more for serving
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk, or 1 1/2 cups whole milk/half and half
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment.
- Whisk together the soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, chili powder, and black pepper. Toss the coconut chips with the sauce and spread in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes, stirring once halfway through the baking time. Watch closely. Coconut bacon tends to scorch if you look away for a mere second. Let cool on the baking sheet - the bacon will continue to crisp.
- In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Stir in the onion, carrots, and celery for 4-5 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic, thyme, sage, rosemary, and fennel. Whisk in the flour until no large lumps remain, then slowly stream in the white wine. Simmer until slightly reduced, about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the broth or water and bring to a boil. Add the gnocchi and cook according to package directions. Lower the heat and stir in the parmesan, spinach, and coconut milk until the cheese melts. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Divide into bowls and top with coconut bacon, additional parmesan, and herbs, as desired.
Notes
*If making leftovers: Boil the gnocchi in a separate pot of water and add to individual servings. The gnocchi will absorb much of the liquid if stored in the soup. I don't mind this, but some people do.
*Coconut substitute: If you don't want to use coconut chips for the bacon, check out my tofu bacon!