Chicken, Chorizo, Corn, Chard & Gnocchi Soup

I saw a copycat recipe for "chicken gnocchi soup" which apparently is at "Olive Garden".  I have never eaten there (probably a good thing for my figure), so have never had the soup.  Anyway, it inspired me to make my own version of it as it looked comforting and tasty.  I had made another pot of homemade chicken stock, so was ready to go.  I kept extra stock as I was sure those gnocchi were going to steal the broth when left sitting and having leftovers the next day.

For ingredients I used:

• 2 dry-cured chorizo sausages, diced tiny
• 3 cups rotisserie chicken, diced (I used Costco)
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 stalks of carrot, diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 package (500 grams) of mini potato gnocchi (These were really high in sodium but convenient 😒)
• 1/3 cup of flour
• 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 bunch of organic rainbow Swiss chard, stems cut off and sliced thinly in short ribbons
• 2 local, fresh stalks of corn, kernels sliced off lengthwise
• Heaping tablespoon of equal parts dried basil, thyme and oregano (well, more basil is always good)
• Pinch of red chili flakes
• Kosher salt and cracked pepper, to taste
• 10 cups of chicken broth
• 1 can of 2% evaporated milk (354 ml)
• Fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese for garnish
• Fresh chives, sliced thinly for garnish
• Fresh basil, sliced chiffonade for garnish

Mise en place I did first and foremost.  Below is the chard.

I started by sauteing the mirepoix in the oil.

I added in the garlic, seasoning and chorizo when the veggies were soft.  I stir-fried for a couple of minutes.  

Then I added the flour to create a roux. I stirred a few minutes until the flour cooked out.  Then the chicken broth went in and I stirred until it came to a boil and thickened (about 5 minutes).

All of the rest of the ingredients went in.

I brought to a boil, then covered and simmered for 20 minutes.

Voila, it was done!  Easy peasy as Jamie Oliver would say.  I checked the seasoning and added S&P (no salt on mine!) to taste.  Time to serve.

I garnished.

I really, really liked the evaporated milk in place of cream and it had no cholesterol either.  The soup thickened very nicely.  I'm not a fan of dried herbs often.  I wished I used fresh, I would have been happier.  The gnocchi was okay, very filling but I really liked the little bites of it.  My son loved it, he had two bowls.  The chorizo gave a nice twist and the corn was beautifully sweet.  Thick, rich and comforting.  A-OK meal!