Gnocchi Is Perfect For Bulking Up Your Vegetable Soup

After a cold day out, there's nothing more comforting than coming home to a steaming pot of soup. The peppery broth and earthy vegetables are everything you need and more. Yet despite the warmth the soup provides, it's not always the most filling thing to eat. To bulk up vegetable soup, add some gnocchi.

The pasta (or dumpling, depending on who you ask) provides a hearty addition to vegetable soup. With a shorter cooking time than the potatoes they're derived from and a more buttery flavor, gnocchi is an incredible add-on to the dish. On top of the pasta boiling within four minutes, they transform ordinary vegetable soup into a one-pot meal.

About five minutes before the soup is done, add in the gnocchi and allow it to cook, absorbing the savory broth as it rises to the top. The pasta works with almost any kind of soup, no matter the flavor. Use gnocchi instead of tortellini in chicken and tortellini vegetable soup or simmer it in broccoli and cheddar soup.

Classic potato gnocchi also deserves a spot in minestrone soup. Swap the potatoes and pasta in the robust soup for gnocchi to give it a chewier, richer touch. With the pesto in our hearty minestrone soup already complementing the vegetables, gnocchi makes it a ménage à trois. Pour in the gnocchi when adding the canned beans and spinach for pasta that's the perfect texture.

Ignore the fact that tomatoes are technically fruits to imagine a piping bowl of tomato soup with pieces of fresh basil. Now picture it with tender pieces of gnocchi — doesn't it sound incredible? Add in actual veggies and elevate the sweet, rich soup with delicate spinach gnocchi. Instead of eating tomato soup with grilled cheese, you can also choose to swap the gnocchi for gnudi, or spinach and ricotta dumplings.

Spruce up Portuguese kale soup with pumpkin gnocchi. This quick soup is complete with earthy kale, pungent garlic, and spicy chorizo that can easily be swapped for a vegan version. Savory with a hint of smokiness, the pumpkin gnocchi adds a welcomed touch of sweetness. Pour in a splash of heavy cream to thicken this enriching soup.