Lemon Gnocchi Soup with Creamy White Beans
Servings: 4 - 6 people
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 medium carrots sliced into thin discs
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 3 cloves garlic grated or pressed
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes or more to taste
- 2 cans cannellini beans 15 ounces / 400 g each, drained and rinsed, or 3 cups / 470 g cooked beans
- 4 cups (1 L) vegetable broth reduced-sodium – plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) tahini
- 1 pound (450 g) potato gnocchi
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest plus more to taste
- 3 cups (60 g) baby spinach optional
- 2 tablespoons (1 handful) fresh dill chopped, or parsley
- Sauté the vegetables: Warm 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.Add 1 large onion, 2 medium carrots, and 1 stalk celery (all chopped) and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften.Stir in 3 cloves garlic (grated) and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Simmer the beans: Add 2 cans cannellini beans (rinsed), 4 cups vegetable broth, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
- Make it creamy: Transfer about one-third of the soup to a blender or a tall container with an immersion blender.Add 3 tablespoons tahini, 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, then blend until smooth and creamy. Pour the creamy mixture back into the pot and stir well.No tahini? Substitute the same amount of almond butter, cashew butter, or half-and-half, or 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
- Cook the gnocchi: Bring the soup back to a gentle simmer. Add 1 pound potato gnocchi and cook according to the package directions, usually 2 to 4 minutes, until tender.Stir occasionally so the gnocchi don't stick to the bottom. If the soup gets too thick, add a splash of broth.
- Finish and serve: Stir in 3 cups baby spinach, if using, and cook for about 1 minute, until wilted.Turn off the heat. Taste and adjust with more salt, black pepper, lemon juice, or lemon zest if needed. Serve topped with fresh dill.
Substitutions
- Extra virgin olive oil → Regular olive oil or avocado oil.
- Onion → Shallots or green parts of scallions.
- Carrots → Parsnips.
- Celery → Fennel.
- Garlic → Garlic powder, or omit and add extra herbs or lemon zest.
- Red pepper flakes → Aleppo pepper or a pinch of cayenne.
- Cannellini beans → Great Northern beans, navy beans, or cooked dried cannellini beans.
- Vegetable broth → Chicken broth.
- Tahini → Extra virgin olive oil, almond butter, cashew butter, or half-and-half.
- Potato gnocchi → Fresh, shelf-stable, gluten-free, or homemade gnocchi.
- Baby spinach → Kale or Swiss chard.
- Lemon → Fresh lemon works best.
- Fresh dill → Parsley.
- Soften the veggies: Cook for 5 to 7 minutes to build flavor.
- Blend just one-third: Keep plenty of whole beans and vegetables for texture.
- Blend in the tahini: Blend it with the soup, lemon juice, and zest for extra creaminess.
- Be generous with lemon: Use both juice and zest to balance the creamy broth.
- Adjust the thickness: Add a splash of broth if the soup gets too thick.
- Taste before serving: Adjust salt, lemon juice, and zest until bright and balanced.
- Storage: Leftovers thicken in the fridge; add a splash of broth when reheating.
